OPINION

Work together for wildlife

The Spectrum article, "Enforcing the law in the wild" (July 24) focuses on an important, ongoing effort to curb SE Asia's illegal wildlife trade, namely the Asean Wildlife Enforcement Network (Asean-wen). My organisation and I have closely observed and supported the growth of this network since its birth 10 years ago, although we did not staff its secretariat as the article states. The article does rightly point out that Asean-wen's Bangkok-based secretariat weakened in the past years, leaving many concerned.

However, the article then quotes sources far removed from Asean-wen enforcement operations who paint an inaccurate picture by equating the state of its secretariat with its results in the field. The article states that Asean-wen "never managed to bring law enforcement officers to the forefront of the fight". One source is quoted as saying it never conducted law enforcement operations or made arrests, while another implies that it does not share information and conduct operations across borders like a new police network could.

In fact, Asean-wen launched and co-hosted the world's biggest and, to date, most effective cross-border wildlife enforcement operations ever, including Operations Cobra 1, 2 and 3, which brought police, customs and prosecutors together with wildlife officers from Asean, Africa, China and the US, resulting in landmark arrests and seizures. So successful was Operation Cobra that Interpol adopted the model and now runs an annual "Project Cobra".

The network's challenges are endemic to Asean and the world: financial sustainability, bureaucracy and corruption. Before Asean-wen, however, there was scant attention on wildlife crime. Its multi-agency, cross-border approach has increased action and reduced corruption, but not solved it. It is time to give this promising Asean creation and potential global model an injection of support from the Thai government, Asean police community and international organisations.

The article asks the question, did Asean-wen reach its goal? Its secretariat: no, not yet. The network itself: yes. But older global organisations can attest to the need to remain vigilant, while convincing members to continually pay for security. Hopefully those organisations will support, and share lessons with, the much younger Asean-wen and not compete with, or circumvent it.

Re: "Leaving on a jet plane", PostBag, July 29.

William Sheal's lament of how he was physically abused has my sympathy. The annoying incidence of having a parked car opposite one's driveway was well described. However, it can be taken that Mr Sheal's conduct could also contribute to that neighbour's aggressiveness. He blew his car's horn until the car owner had "got the message". Two wrongs do not make it right.

I learned of Thai ways from my domestic helper from Roi Et a few years ago. While recovering from a bad bout of bronchitis, my neighbour burned dried leaves. The smoke was unbearable. I asked her to tell that neighbour to stop the burning while in my mind I was prepared to report the matter to the district office. Within seconds of her absence, there was no smoke. How did she do that? Simple! She said to the neighbour that her boss was not well and the smoke agitated his throat. Immediately, water was poured on the fire with profuse apology. Some wrongs might not have been done intentionally. Words can make a world of difference rather than being so legalistic. Sometimes, it is far better to be kind than to be right.

Re: "Prayut challenges politicians", (BP, July 30).

Prime Minister Prayut is absolutely right. Career politicians like Mr Abhisit did nothing to deal with rampant corruption or promote the cause of democracy. Mr Abhisit should do what his deputy Mr Suthep did -- take a break, become a monk or teach a class in political science on "Prostituting for Power: The Life of Career Politicians in Thailand" at Thammasat University. Career politicians in Thailand have cried wolf too often, it is time to ignore them.

The current PM is doing much better than any career politician and can do more if he surrounds himself with technocrats, professionals, task masters and performers.

Credit should be given to him for cleaning up the mess created by career politicians. By all accounts, his government has rejuvenated hope for a better future for Thailand.

However, his government needs to take charge of guiding and inspiring young students as changemakers, and not treat them as troublemakers. They are the future of Thailand.

Education reform is the key to bringing the changes his government desires.

Re: "No stars in Thai cuisine", (PostBag, July 30).

I don't know how much Tim Garbutt thinks he knows about Thai cuisine, but when he says, "No UK high street is now complete without the gentle sounds and smells of jasmine rice bubbling away," I suspect it is not a lot. This quote implies the rice is being boiled, and no self respecting Thai housewife, cook or restaurant would boil rice, particularly a Thai restaurant looking for Michelin stars.

This most basic of all Thai dishes must be steamed, not boiled.

The front page of Friday's Bangkok Post contained yet another huge fire story and again the building has partially collapsed. It concerns me that so many fires are huge and appear to cause massive structural damage. Is this down to lack of decent automatic fire sprinklers, cost cutting materials and/or poor construction techniques?

On a lighter note, and I quote, "authorities have narrowed down three possible causes of fire: arson, negligence and an accident". Forgive me if I'm missing something here, but what could be another cause? Actually, I also consider negligence as an accident -- leaving two possibilities: deliberate or not?