OPINION

Bell tolls for coups

Re: "Army at the centre of our vicious circle", (Opinion, Oct 23).

New army chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong is to be praised for his candour in admitting that another coup d'etat is possible if political unrest returns -- thereby unwittingly confirming that the 2014 coup has been a total failure at reconciling society. As the opinion piece author Atiya Achakulwisut puts it, "If a coup is a solution, why should another one be needed?"

We should look to our history and our national father, the late King Rama IX, for a more lasting solution. In 1991, the military then, under Gen Sunthorn Kongsompong, quickly appointed a civilian, the highly respected Khun Anand Panyarachun, closely linked to the palace, business community and highly regarded overseas as an interim prime minister. The strongly independent Khun Anand selected cabinet members for their proven ability, not the stars on their shoulders. The proof is in the pudding, for his government instituted many key reforms, including in taxation and education.

I suggest that as we choose our next prime minister, we look for one who has the same proven ties to the monarchy, business sector, and international audiences -- and is his own man.

Our beloved national father's close touch with the common man is legendary. In solving the hill tribe's dependence on opium-growing, for example, the late King literally took to the paddies and the hills, interviewing farmers, tribesmen, and public officials in direct contact with them, learning local conditions first-hand. He then consulted Thai and foreign experts before coming up with solutions to try out.

Khun Anand adopted the late King's approach to constitution-writing, holding kingdom-wide public hearings to the extent that the result was known as the "People's Constitution". His constitution was "by the people, for the people, and of the people", as Lincoln would have put it, promoting a buy-in from all.

Let us learn from our history, both in choosing our leaders and problem solving, and put coups behind us.

Re: "THAI union leader slams pilots' lack of 'the right spirit'", (Online, Oct 22).

Thai Airways International Plc's (THAI) labour union president is right on both counts: The pilots who wilfully damaged their employer, their nation, and paying customers had a legal right according to the rule of law to a first-class seat, but good morals demanded they not exercise that legal entitlement.

Exactly the same is true of politicians. Thaksin, along with Singapore's morally challenged leaders, had a legal right to file lawsuits to stifle opinions deemed offensive, but healthy moral norms for a democracy ask such people to refrain from using the force of law to protect themselves from insults and other abuse, however tasteless or of dubious veracity.

THAI's pilots, it appears, have learned all too well their selfishly bad morals from the example of Thailand's political leaders, past and present. The spirit of the Buddha's teachings is better than this arrogant imposition under the guise of strict legalism that contradicts good morals.

Re: "'Musical chairs' pilots expose internal rifts", (BP, Oct 23).

I think the THAI pilots' argument that they were entitled to first-class seats has two obvious flaws. The first is that most THAI flights no longer have first-class seating on the majority of their routes. The second is that it is an admission that passengers flying business class cannot get sufficient rest. No wonder THAI is in such a mess!

Re: "'Musical chairs' pilots expose internal rifts", (BP, Oct 23).

My question is why were the passengers who were assigned to business class on the Boeing 777 upgraded to first class on the Boeing 747, which had only nine first-class seats? The 747 had enough business-class seats to accommodate all business-class passengers from the other flight.

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