Re: "Belonging: An offer they can't refuse" (Commentary, July 22).
I have often asked the same question Khun Voranai Vanijaka asked in his latest article on the red shirts: "Why do they (United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship) do the things that they do?" And we have come to the same conclusion. No matter their backgrounds, people want respect and their voices heard. If one red shirt protested, his voice would be unheard and ignored. But if they formed a large group, using their sheer numbers as leverage to demand political changes, they are are a force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, the need to belong is deeply rooted in the human psyche. Having a group wearing the same colour with the same goals furnishes a sense of belonging and gives meaning to people's lives. It also gives them a common identity.
Growing up in an egalitarian society in Australia, I did not see much denigration of those who came from outer provinces or worked as labourers and blue-collar workers. If anything the labourers such as plumbers and electricians are often better paid than university lecturers because of the low supply of the former. This, however, is not the case in Thailand.
Due to the feudalistic mentality analogous to the ''caste system'' we have in Thailand, there is a huge divide between the Bangkokians who are typically pro-establishment versus the majority of Thais living in the provinces and rural areas. Many Bangkokians I have come across look down upon the red shirts with contempt _ believing that they are ill-informed and easily manipulated. I doubt this is the right attitude for true reconciliation. True reconciliation cannot and will not be achieved in parliament. Rather, it must come from a change of mentality and attitude by Thais. Regardless of the other person's educational background, wealth, occupation, place of birth, skin colour and age, Thais must learn how to sincerely respect one another as equals. Arguably this is the biggest cultural challenge that Thais must face if the country is to truly reconcile and succeed in the globalised era. Sadly, I might be asking too much.
EDWARD KITLERTSIRIVATANA
Generals value only face
To me, it seems that our generals value saving face more than the lives of their men, as shown by the GT200 and Alpha 6 bomb detectors. A total of 1,576 of these detectors were bought by 13 agencies, with the Ordinance Department being the biggest buyer, putting out 300 million baht of your money and mine to buy 697 GT200 units.
Our Ministry of Science and Technology tested the GT200 and Alpha 6 many times, and found that they had a one in five chance of being successful in detecting a bomb. That's like having our bomb squads play Russian roulette every day, with four of the five chambers in their revolvers loaded. They'd have a far higher chance of living if they flipped a coin.
Yet, Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat and Supreme Commander Tanasak Patimapakorn insist that the devices are effective, and they continue to be used.
For the generals to about-face and admit that they've been scammed would make them lose a lot of face. It would also open the way for an unwanted investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission - especially since it was ACM Sukumpol who was responsible for the purchase (when he was air force chief of staff).
How sad that our generals seem to place their personal interests above their men's lives. How sad, too, that neither the Pheu Thai Party nor the red shirts, who claim to represent the lowly enlisted men whose lives are daily at stake in the deep South, don't raise a stink about it - and neither do you, dear reader, even though those men are dying for you.
BURIN KANTABUTRA
No flood experts in China
A BBC home page headline last night read: ''Deadly Beijing floods prompt infrastructure questions.'' In light of the Chinese questioning their own government's ability to handle flood problems, why does the Thai government insist on consulting ''China flood control experts?'' After reading the BBC report, I doubt if Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would still consult the Chinese over anything about flood control.
WET MANGO
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