Being Thai
Re: "A paragon of virtues", (Postbag, Dec 31).
As the example of Jatupat Boonpatararaksa and others constantly remind us, the PM's list of 12 Thai values are self-contradictory: Thai law often criminalises honesty, making it impossible to legally practice both value number 2 (honesty) and value number 8 (respecting the law). But this is no surprise: The PM's 12 values of Thainess were made up to reform education by replacing solid virtues such as critical thinking, respect for facts and healthy truth seeking, things the Buddha calls "right understanding", with mindless respect for authority based on tradition.
The 12 values of traditional Thainess as listed by the PM are not fit for decent people to live by, but are, like so many hoary traditions serving a repressive status quo, themselves in urgent need of critical reform.
Felix Qui
Above the law
In my many years here in Thailand I have seen elected politicians treat the law with less respect than one would wish. They have ignored it and got away with it, they have changed it to suit their desires and they have introduced new rules solely to profit financially.
Then, just as I have decided I have seen it all, along comes a military government with a whole new approach to the law in Thailand. They introduce a new constitution including all sorts of wonderful things in respect to human rights and freedoms and then ignore them. Recently they made new laws concerning the registration of immigrant labour but now decide to delay things. And how do they manage all this? They introduce a law that allows them to overcome all existing laws.
The all-powerful Section 44 brings a whole new bag of tricks to Thailand's present politicians in that they can now insist they are abiding by the law while they break all and every rule that they think restricts their behaviour. A law to allow breaking any existing law. Now that's amazing, even in Thailand.
Lungstib
Trust must be earned
Re: "Prawit 'explains' watch, ring", (BP, Dec 30).
Prawit Wongsuwon has written to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on how he came to wear at least one of perhaps 10 ultra-expensive watches and a flashy diamond ring not listed in his assets declaration. NACC deputy secretary-general Worawit Sukboon asks that we "trust in the NACC's work ethic and professionalism" to unearth any whiff of corruption and hold the culprits, if any, accountable.
It's fine to ask for our trust, Khun Worawit, but trust must be earned -- especially in Thailand, where, for example, two ex-PMs are on still the run for corruption-related charges, and we taxpayers paid 1 million baht each for many G2000 bomb detectors which were much less accurate than flipping a coin -- and no general's even been charged. Also, NACC executives serve at the pleasure of the prime minister, and heads might roll for politically incorrect decisions.
To earn the public's trust, the NACC should follow Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda's advice to PM Prayut a few days ago: Each person should act as a role model by displaying traditional Thai values, such as honesty, respect for the law, and strength against greed (values 2, 8 and 11 of Gen Prayut's 12 values, respectively).
Thus, the NACC should investigate the case swiftly and transparently, including inviting outside independent parties to appraise the items in question, and audit the paper trails, to make sure the investigative process and conclusions show their provenance was lawful and honest, and not a quid pro quo for anything. The NACC should also make all evidence available to media afterwards, so that we can see that justice has, indeed, been done and that nobody is above the law.
Burin Kantabutra
Fired up
Anyone who fires a gun into the air in a populated area is an idiot and should be arrested and prosecuted on attempted murder charges.
David Proulx
Get in line
The caption for the BP's front page photograph on Dec 30 of departing holidaymakers at Don Mueang Airport said: "Long queues of passengers form at the check-in counters." Sorry, but I cannot tell the difference to the long queues there year-round.
David Brown
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