OPINION

Yin and yang

Re: "Preserve iconic yang na trees", (Editorial, Feb 24).

The iconic yang trees alongside the old road in Saraphi district, Chiang Mai, have served as a sight for sore eyes for both locals and visitors for a long, long time.

When I was little, my father used to relate to me that in the beginning, the Chiang Mai authorities, or jao nai in the city, assigned every village in the vicinity to take care of these young saplings.

Each village was charged with the job of looking after a certain number of trees. They had to send representatives to water and nurture the young trees every few days, until they grew strong enough to be left alone.

That is why it is heartbreaking to see two of these old trees cut down within 15 minutes by chainsaw.

The Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) should consult with local people and preservation groups before doing anything that would cause us all to feel sorry and lament again.

The Chiang Mai PAO should be reminded that the city's charm comes from its power to preserve its old culture and traditions.

Hence, modernisation at the expense of this wonderful city's old values should be considered an absolute no-no.

I agree with Felix Qui (Postbag, Feb 25) that almost everyone loves their country, including dissenters. But in America and Thailand, I have found that when people complain, they are told: Love it or leave.

The hypocrisy is appalling. Republicans in America, or the military in Thailand, don't show such loyalty when a government they don't like is in power. But when their side is in control, they demand total "patriotism".

Instead of "love it or leave", why not say "love it but improve it".

And improvements can only happen when people have enough courage to listen to criticism and make constructive change.

Re: "Losing touch with reality", Richard Keenan's Feb 24 letter only helps to illustrate the desperate but neglected need for immigration reform in Thailand.

So many people have encountered arrogant, surly, bullying immigration officials, who are probably so ignorant of their own rules and regulations they must make them up as they go along, or find other ways of imposing their power.

These petty little despotic individuals seem to feel the need to impress on others just how high and mighty they really are.

Dear Khun Lungstib, if Americans want to be "happily dysfunctional" as you claim, it is both their right and, privilege. Nothing like being happy, forget about the dysfunctional side. Let's see how "happily dysfunctional" Thais will be after the upcoming elections here.

Re: "Anti-Semitic Poland", (PostBag, Feb 23).

Auschwitz Annie should be more careful in labelling Poland as anti-Semitic and using as evidence the 1648 peasant uprising in the Ukraine, which devastated Jewish communities and people.

While not denying the horrific effects on the Jewish community, it should be noted that this uprising, the Cossack-Polish War, also resulted in the massacre of Polish nobles, as well as Catholic priests and nuns.

Context, Annie, is important.

People ask why Thailand needs so many generals. Why?

The answer is fairly obvious. Who else would sit on all those government committees and quangos?

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