Some people believe business operators selling alcohol are to blame for drink-driving accidents. In reality, it’s those who consume alcohol and then make the wrong decision to drive a car who must take the blame. What if the girl in the recent accident in Chiang Mai consumed alcohol at a friend’s place early that morning?
Restricting sales of alcohol only at certain times of the day also has nothing to do with drink-driving. If the government wants to get serious about drink-driving, it must tackle the core problem: punish intoxicated drivers.
Krit
Charter rehash needed
I heartily agree with Khun Songkran’s stand on Thai politics, except that I would revise Section 8 of the draft constitution, concerning lese majeste, to have something like: "Resolution of lese majeste cases shall follow His Majesty’s wishes as interpreted by the Privy Council, unless overridden by parliament."
Surely HM is an expert on lese majeste and, as the representative of our most beloved institution and the allegedly damaged party, has the right to be heard. But as the monarch is under rule of law, his wishes may be overruled by the people’s elected representatives following due process.
Such an inclusion is vital because Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra have ignored HM’s wishes. HM’s biographers said: “Thailand’s law of lese-majeste has one very prominent critic: King Bhumibol … in 2005, after an increase in politically inspired lese-majeste complaints, [he] used his televised birthday address to [state that] ... charges against those accused of lese-majeste should be dropped, and those held in jail for lese-majeste should be released. the use of the lese-majeste law ultimately damages the monarchy” (Grossman and Faulder in King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life’s Work, page 313).
Let us help protect - not damage - our highest and beloved institution.
Burin Kantabutra
Crane probe is vital
Re: "State railway grills ITD over crane tumble", (BP, May 5)
I was amazed to read that these cranes had toppled on several occasions. There should have been a full investigation following the first one (whether any one was injured or not). Excuses will be made for these potentially lethal collapses but there are only two reasons these collapses would occur. The first is badly designed or badly maintained equipment and second (and most likely), the equipment is being operated by an unqualified and unlicensed crane operator.
Even if the operator held a licence I would suspect the training he received was not of professional standard. These pieces of equipment are perfectly safe if used correctly.
Brian Stocks
Scrap death penalty
Mr Bahrt proposes “one simple question” (PostBag, May 5) implying bias in favour of Australian nationals executed on drug charges in Indonesia.
His charge is simply wrong. I have monitored reports on the executions and was simply unaware of the alleged bias.
Most reports treated the 10 condemned on an equal basis, apart from an understandable interest in nationals of the country where the reports were published, such as particular attention to the Filipina in the Philippines.
Most noted were real causes of defects in the judgements; for example the mental illness of the Brazilian national and the legal doubts on the guilt of the Filipina.
In the case of the two Australians the questioning of their execution was based on the belief that they had been rehabilitated; strong grounds for the quality of mercy.
Strangely, many comments by Australians themselves approved of the execution on the basis of the ancient eye-for-an-eye argument.
On the other hand may I draw the attention of Mr Barht to the biased action of President Widodo in refusing mercy while exerting himself to seek clemency for Indonesians abroad charged with capital crimes.
Better simply to have done with it all and abolish the death penalty forever and for all.
Danthong Breen
Peace TV in fairyland
Re: “Red shirts petition UN over Peace TV ban”, (BP, May 4).
Some Thais believe they can “play both ends against the middle” and run to the UN, the US and the EU when they have problems that can be handled locally.
Peace TV is a local problem, and it does not rank up there with the illegal US invasion of Iraq, the hellhole that France, the UK and the US made of Libya, or the decades of economic lies told in Greece.
In other words, Peace TV, grow up and stop hoping for Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy or Big Brother to come to town.
Guy Baker