OPINION

Misconceived notions

Re: "Professionalise army", (PostBag, Feb 12).

I would like to quote Burin Kantabutra's statement: "Also, our army's noble mission is to be Thailand's fence, defending us from foreign enemies -- yet Nakhon Ratchasima's far from our borders; our 'fence' shouldn't run through our living room, so to speak. Does the army have any military reason for being in that city -- other than to participate in a coup d'etat, which by definition is highly illegal?"

Well, I am afraid such a statement is a misconception. It is common to have army bases deep inland and it is not necessary to discuss the reasons why. If you only Google key words like "army bases in...", you will find that there are army bases inland in most countries.

Army chief Apirat Kongsompong claims Thailand's military is a sacred institution. This may or may not be the case. The general is clearly shooting from the hip, as well as his lip.

However, sacred or not, no military in the world is a perfect institution. For that matter, nothing is perfect, from a government to a corporation to its citizenry. Armies have their faults, some serve the people, others are self-serving, like those in many banana republics.

Most armies however provide specific services, military and non-military when necessary. Without military help England might have become a German-speaking country. A great portion of China and Korea might be speaking Japanese. Regardless of how one views an army, sacred or not, it is a necessity.

Hopefully armies are run by logical, experienced military personnel for the good of their countries, not for the personal benefit of those running their countries.

Last year, Lt Jarae Rojanasawinya of the 3rd Infantry Battalion was discharged without a pension. His crime? He had raped a sergeant major's 14-year-old daughter multiple times and videotaped the act to blackmail the girl into silence.

Since a lieutenant outranks a sergeant, there wasn't much the father could do except lodge a police complaint. Imagine if the father had taken matters into his own hands and taken revenge? This wasn't the first incident and won't be the last crime perpetrated by soldiers against their own officers, notwithstanding the recent Korat shooting spree.

Now imagine that instead of heading to Terminal 21, the Korat gunman had aimed his gun at all his superiors who had exploited him in the past. Then multiply that by several hundred junior officers who had suffered the same fate as the gunman.

The reality is that unless the military undergoes genuine reform, it may one day implode from the inside. Through reform, by trimming the force, the army will have more resources to look after junior officers' welfare and well-being.

Just like in any other organisation, happy staff equals a productive workforce and once soldiers retire they can pursue other careers. We would have fewer but stronger soldiers and perhaps more scientists, programmers and entrepreneurs.

So dear military, with due respect, it's in your interest to treat your junior staff as valuable assets. Treat them with respect, and you will gain their respect and loyalty in return.

The army may not be a sacred institution to civilians, but for those in the army, it is. No army in the world, whether it is Thai, American or Russian, is perfect. All armies without exception have their share of misfits, psychos, and more. However, when one needs the military, they are there to help.

In Thailand it is the army that distributes help, food and healthcare packages to those stranded by floods … jackets, blankets, cooking oil and rice during the extreme cold in the North and in Isaan.

It was the army that ran trucks as "taxis" in my area during the 2011 Great Flood, so people could stock up on provisions, go to the banks, post offices, etc.

Let's not lump everybody in the army as "lump heads". Most are proud to serve in their military capacity. Those who complain the loudest are those who might need the military to help in the future.

Re: "For me, mass killer will never have a name", (Opinion, Feb 13).

While it is clear that the shooter was consumed by rage, it does appear from the photos that he posted of himself that he was planning to get famous by killing as many people as possible.

However, I do agree with Khun Anchalee Kongrut in her Feb 13 column that the media does us no favours if they contribute to fulfilling this wish.

Thailand's Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is doing a remarkable public relations job for the country. He angrily declared that foreigners not wearing face masks should be deported from Thailand, even though he has no authority to do so.

Doesn't he know that foreigners know that most masks are ineffective? Shouldn't he be promoting hygiene instead?

Re: "Put it into perspective", (Postbag, Feb 13).

Michael Setter said: "effective preventive measures [against coronavirus] include taking vitamin D3". There have been warnings from many sources that misinformation about coronavirus may be spreading more rapidly than the virus itself and that it may endanger lives.

Mr Setter has previously claimed that the "most significant cause of climate change is the sun", that climate change is "an illusory problem", and that anti-vaxxers pose no threat to health. He is entitled to his opinions, even when these are presented as facts, and I have no wish to censor his contributions.

But I spent a few moments looking for information about whether vitamin D3 is effective against coronavirus, and apart from websites peddling supplements, I found no confirmation. Perhaps Mr Setter can provide us with the source of his information?

Re: "Media put lives at risk," (Opinion, Feb 13).

The BP editorial team was right in assessing that some recent media coverage in the Korat massacre was irresponsible and may have put lives at risk. I also agree when they said "journalists and editors should give priority to saving lives, not just their own gains". But, while I interpret this BP editorial to mean that some members of the Thai press may have risked lives in the Korat mass-shooting by being "overzealous", I think I see a dimension to this quote which the BP editorial team should also keep in mind -- journalistic timidity also risks lives.

Right now, we are all aware of the Covid-19 pandemic in China. Yet, as a reader of multiple international news sources, I've noticed that many (if not most) Thai newspapers are presenting the death toll and patient count as it is reported by the Chinese government and media.

However, one must understand that China is an authoritarian state which strictly controls the levers of media. In such an authoritarian state, the truth can become difficult to ascertain.

Presently, a rising number of major US news networks such as Fox News, the Spectator USA, the National Public Radio (America) and even the New York Times are starting to openly question the official numbers.

Questions on the virus death toll have been appearing for at least a week in respected publications outside Thailand. Yet, most English-language publications that I read in Thailand seem reluctant to pose these questions.

Earlier this week I almost was hit by a car speeding across a zebra crossing even thought the traffic light was red. The red light at this pedestrian crossing is largely ignored by motorists and I'm always careful when crossing the road.

I had already informed the police station in the area twice about this situation, in writing. The day after nearly being run over, I went to the police station, reported the incident, gave them the licence plate number, only to be told that I had to prove that the motorist had jumped the light.

My question is: How would have I have saved myself from being hit, recorded the licence plate and at the same time taken a photograph of the red light and the car?

In other words, if I was hit, the motorist would have got away because I could not prove he was jumping the red light. Pedestrians do not exist for either motorists or the Thai police. Another case of "this is Thailand".

Bangkok leads the list of cities that will be most affected by rising sea levels in 2050, according to the Nestpick 2050 Climate Change City Index. "The impact will be nearly 100 times worse than other coastal cities like Oslo and St Petersburg," it said.

Therefore, I would like to suggest that the navy put in an order for as many China-made arks as soon as possible.

Re: "B12 vital to the body", (Life, Feb 11).

It is noted that a vegan can get enough vitamin B12 from supplements, fortified foods and some plant-based milks. Yet the first part of the article falsely implies that vegans don't get enough vitamin B12.

My friend the late Dr Bill Harris who had been a medical doctor and a vegan for decades said he never met a vegan who had a severe vitamin B12 deficiency. But I guess the media and the medical establishment always have to find some excuse for discrediting vegan diets.

No wonder a mass shooter can drive around town unimpeded as our police is out in full force preventing teenagers from having sex.