OPINION

Are you serious?

Re: "Thanathorn should learn to listen", (Opinion, Nov 4).

Posing as a moderate, it is rich of Veera Prateepchaikul to suggest that Future Forward Party's leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit should follow Buddhist principles. The PM who forced himself on the unwilling Thai nation, meanwhile, follows the long line of his predecessors, who have never shown respect for the wise teachings of the Buddha.

Thai law criminalises the free speech essential to right understanding; Thai law made up at the behest of military men enshrines injustice that allows the rich to take advantage of the powerless; and Thai law rejects compassion to the point of ordaining the killing of Thai citizens. Whatever the conservative Thai tradition forged by a long history of coups against the good morals of democracy might be, it is not Buddhist.

Veera is also wrong that the constitution is not fundamental. It is the founding rule of law that determines the form of society and government, including the nation's economic health. The latest morally-challenged permanent constitution was made up to hobble democracy that might offer a path to justice, fairness, equality and the transparency which might greatly reduce Thailand's endemic corruption.

The conservative Thai mindset, blessed by the religion known as Thai Buddhism, is ever so loyally allied to the conservative tradition of authoritarianism in Thai politics that has contaminated Thai society -- as exemplified in the militaristic uniforms not only of civil servants, but even school teachers and the very politicians elected to serve the people in parliament.

FFP, with its intelligent, educated and morally-aware members is the best hope Thailand has had in many decades to move past the anti-democratic mindset of conservative Thais and the systemic failures which the most cursory review of Thai history shows to have stemmed from such tradition.

This fact was recognised when intelligent, educated and morally aware Thais sensibly gave FFP a solid thumbs up in the last election.

Migrant to-do list

Ron Kitchen's letter really hit the nail on the head! In summary, the UK government needs to toughen up.

As in Thailand, provide ID cards for everyone. Impose life sentences for people traffickers.

All illegals, once caught, must be placed in detention centres whilst awaiting deportation, and improve policing of all points of entry -- including the English Channel.

Implement a policy which encourage assimilation, rather than multiculturalism. (Not working too well at present, with the most popular boy's name in England being "Mohammed"!)

Improve communications at the highest level with those in charge of the countries/regions where the illegal migrants originate to see what can be done to stem illegal immigration.

Here's a clue

Recently it was reported that the government was spending around 60 million baht to set up a task force to combat "fake news", which was described as a threat to Thailand's national security.

On Nov 2, BBC News broadcast a report on a controversial subject which ended with the image of a notice from Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that "We promote and respect the rights to freedom of expression by all individuals".

It shouldn't be difficult for the newly established task force to decide where to start their anti-fake news investigation.