Yet another terrorist incident in southern Thailand. Sad indeed.
Here are some suggestions for what could be done to lessen strife in that region. Get creative-thinking Thais (is that an oxymoron?) to arrange ''town hall meetings'' in the southern region. Find out, first hand, what locals are thinking and what they want. Get all concerned involved in a dialogue with each other. Get authorities involved also, to see what tangible things the government can do to assist.
One big step toward fixing things would be to seriously discipline any and all authorities who made bad decisions that led to problems such as Kru Se and Tak Bai. The ill will among some Muslims from those events is still smouldering in the South, and ongoing terrorist incidents are indications of that. The responsibility goes from middle-ranking officers at the scene, to generals ... on up to the PM. Lest we forget, that was ''Mr Hands-on CEO'' PM Thaksin at the time.
If Thaksin and his generals were taken to task regarding their questionable decisions at Kru Se and Tak Bai, that would be a big step towards lessening the strife in the southern region of Thailand. Revenge is a deep-seated sentiment among Muslims. Many are still seething about the Crusades of centuries ago.
KIP KEINO
PM silent on Krabi rape
Mcot English Language news announced that PM Yingluck will attend the Asean meeting in Cambodia and bring up rights for women. As the PM is still silent on the rape of the Dutch tourist on Krabi, and the remarks made by her minister, Chumpol Silpa-archa, does this mean there should be rights for women in Asean, but not in Thailand? This is the signal the PM is sending.
JACK GILEAD
More migrants with AEC
Re: ''AEC pushed back 12 months'', (BP, Nov 19).
I fully agree with the Asean leaders in their decision to delay the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) for 12 months. Thailand is far from being ready. Why?
Thailand is surrounded by three poorer countries. An early launch of the AEC would trigger inflows of people from these neighbours into Thailand. Despite the development these neighbouring countries will be able to achieve in the next 10 years, they will still be behind Thailand in terms of minimum wage and infrastructure development.
Hence, at the opening of the AEC, people, especially from the remote areas of these countries, will naturally migrate to Thailand to escape poverty.
For example in 2004, the European Union accepted 10 new members; eight of them were poorer Eastern European countries.
The UK government at that time predicted an increase of 15,000 migrants from these eight countries moving to the UK for employment. Now, migrants from Poland alone in the UK have surpassed one million. A miscalculation of about 10,000 per cent!
Hence, the Thai government must do its utmost to prepare the country for this phenomenal migration when the AEC opens.
VINT CHAVALA
Photo-op masks reality
Re: ''Thailand needs to balance superpower courtship'', (BP, Nov 19).
There are two timings here; one is Thailand's present juncture of political discord, which is far from resolved, and the other is China's nascent rise forcing a refocus of US foreign policy on Southeast Asia. The two converged in Bangkok this week in a glorious photo-op for Yingluck. No doubt there was a flurry of behind-the-scenes diplomacy towards this exercise in legitimacy, to which the US responded by foisting the TPP upon us. They realise that mostly they are going to be doing business with the Shinawatras over the next few years. But I'm pretty sure Obama's intelligence brief paints a more realistic picture of what is really brewing here, regardless of the landslide mandate.
MATT BALMAIN
Malaysian taxis are fine
So Mr Eric Barht has been to Malaysia's Butterworth/Georgetown _ (two small towns and only a bridge in between them) _ and suddenly found out that cab drivers are just as bad there as in Thailand. Having lived in Malaysia for 17 years I just want to say that I have never been touted by any cab driver.
TONY SANDBERG
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