OPINION

Priorities questioned

Re: "Haze to blanket Bangkok as open burning surges", (BP, Nov 17).

Here we are again with PM2.5 season, thanks to the usual emissions belching by poorly maintained vehicles, factory pollution, and seasonal agricultural burning. Authorities are even predicting dangerous levels of pollution ahead of the coming burning season, as it were some sort of natural phenomenon rather than a human-induced malady. I'm wondering what would be so difficult about fining or prosecuting sugar farmers for illegally burning their fields. Are the immediate profits of sugar farmers -- cutting their production costs by burning fields prior to harvest -- more valuable to the country than clean air?

Re: "Integrate or go", (PostBag, Nov 19).

I agree with "Proud" Atheist that, France being a secular country, those who don't like it (who are only from one religion) should pack their bags and leave and also not migrate to France.

As far as Not-so-Proud Atheist is concerned, if he doesn't like countries with freedom of expression, he should not move to France either and perhaps should move to Saudi Arabia.

Apparently, Proud Atheist was not born in a free country so he cannot understand people who did and want to continue to live in a free country.

If there is a price to pay, so be it. We will defend ourselves, knowing we cannot count on people like Not-so-Proud Atheist. Let him cower in his armchair.

The average Frenchman gives very much a hoot about our Treaty of Tolerance. Eighty seven percent of French people support teachers showing caricatures mocking religions in class.

Seventy eight percent estimate that France's secularism is threatened and 85% think that political Islam is waging a war against Islamist terrorist attacks of January 2015 in support of Charlie Hebdo and freedom of expression.

Re: "Chaos outside parliament", (BP, Nov 19).

Sad and worrying though the fact may be regarding the shooting of live rounds apparently from both sides during the current political clashes, but has anybody thought to check the bullets to find out how many actual guns were involved?

Agents provocateur are clever, sinister people.

Mr Gilead in his Nov 18 letter, "Axe sure to fall", is right on target with his comments about Thai politicians.

Most politicians, be they Thai, American or any other, probably do not have the ability to find their way out of a telephone booth.

Fred Prager in his Nov 18 letter asks a question that many people would like to see answered.

It seems that unless you are Chinese or obscenely rich, the only way to return to Thailand (or home as many of us term it) during this pandemic is to require serious medical treatment.

What a strange world we live in now, where we hope to be seriously sick or badly injured!