OPINION

Toothless Asean

Re: "Myanmar needs help", (Editorial, Feb 25).

Asean has been talking about holding a meeting of its foreign ministers for weeks. How hard it is to organise one? It is pathetic and its reputation is going down the drain. The Asean charter includes the respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, adhering to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and good governance. It must stand up for almost 90% of the Myanmar civilians peacefully demonstrating against the illegal military regime.

Myanmar doesn't need a new election -- it just had one, deemed fair by observers, including international observers, and people have already spoken.

That was a welcome editorial to read on the dire state of pavements in Bangkok.

The inability of decision-makers to address the needs of pedestrians cannot be over-emphasised. Another hazard facing the pedestrian are crossings. It is nigh impossible to cross Sukhumvit Road safely.

Drivers pay no attention to pedestrians who are often elderly and mothers with push frames, trying to cross via zebra crossings. Our traffic law enforcers seem to be unable to act.

I have also noticed that the crossing lights at zebra crossings are not maintained, so at night it is even more hazardous to cross. One glaring example is the overhead lights at the crossing at Soi 34, which have not been repaired for more than a year.

It seems the car comes first in Bangkok. (If you could please publish pedestrian injuries and deaths by the motor car over the past 10 years, we pedestrians would be most grateful).

If Thai-Aussie ties "are so cooperative", as debated by Kavi Chongkittatavorn in his Feb 23 column, then why is Australia not part of the International Special Security Agreement with Thailand? Countries such as the US, India, Korea and Japan and others are part of the agreement.

Australian expats applying for the age pension are required to return to Australia and remain there for two years. Why? Having worked and paid taxes in Australia it seems like a penalty.

Perhaps changes could be made for applications to be done online?

Re: "Flower pot", (PostBag, Feb 24).

What to do with the parts of MJ that cannot be legal. Well, MJ still stands for marijuana, and I'm from the old San Francisco Haight-Ashbury days. So if those of you do not know what to do with those "illegal" parts of the plant, just throw them my way. An upper from a MJ joint never hurt anyone … that I know of.