OPINION

Facts on Thai pigs

Re: "Don't make pig's ear", (PostBag, Sept 16).

Trichinosis does, indeed, still exist in the US, but cases are extremely rare. Just 13 cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015 (the most recent year data are available), and only three of these were linked to consumption of pork (both wild boar and domesticated pigs).

Fortunately, Thailand also has relatively few cases of trichinosis. Nonetheless, there are still some occasional outbreaks of trichinosis in the kingdom. The highest recorded number of cases (557) was in 1983 and there have been more than 100 cases reported for most years since then. Unfortunately, it is not true that Thai pigs are totally free of the trichinosis-causing nematode trichinella.

Re: "No thanks for smoking", (PostBag, Sept 19).

PFM clearly did not read my letter, nor the letter to which it was in response to. Had he done so he might have noticed that there were no facts in my letter to be deemed "incorrect". The nearest to a "fact" was my judgement that the cost to the NHS is enormous.

I did not "suggest that maybe state health services be withheld from smokers", as he cited. That suggestion seemed implicit in Felix Qui's Sept 16 letter to which I was replying. I was merely querying the practicability of denying free treatment to patients who are suffering from diseases caused by their pursuit of unhealthy activities or lifestyles.

Regarding PFM's reply to Andrew Stewart's letter of the 18th about the tax burden placed on us "sinners". Recently, while on holiday in the UK, there was an article in the Daily Telegraph. I wish I had noted the writer's name and what particular day it had been published. The gist of the article was: Sin tax 9 billion. NHS costs 7 billion.

The taxman always wins!

In response to Syed Munir Khasru's Sept 19 article, ''The tragedy of Aung San Suu Kyi", I would like to point out some of the incorrect facts.

People of Myanmar do not recognise the ''Rohingya'' as an ethnic group. Even British colonial records did not mention ''Rohingya'' in their classifications.

The government of Myanmar has already expressed its concern over the displacement and suffering of all communities affected by the terror attacks committed by the extremist group of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

We need to be aware that the current eruption of violence was the result of attacks committed by the ARSA. They have attacked not only security forces but also innocent native people. This should be condemned explicitly and cannot be excused for any reason.

In this respect, the government has the right to defend itself. However, it is exercising restraint in the use of force in order to avoid collateral damage and not to harm innocent civilians.

The ultimate aim of the ARSA's attack is to impose fear on local people, and to widen already divided communities and to claim separate territory in northern Rakhine state. The government is making efforts to restore stability and to provide humanitarian assistance to all affected people in that area.

Lastly, I would like to point out that this conflict is not about religion. Myanmar is not against Islam. It is responding to terrorist attacks which are threatening our territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

What a wonderful photograph of the prime minister in the middle of a flooded rice paddy (BP, Sept 19). He didn't wear Burberry wellies, but did he really think a business suit was suitable attire for this photo op?

The hope, by Thai taxpayers, is that the submarine purchase doesn't go the same way of the decommissioned airship. The latter was priced in millions of baht, not billions.