OPINION

Another whitewash

Re: "Medics granted legal immunity", (BP, Aug 10).

Thailand's curse is its continuing lack of accountability in the halls of power. Juntas commit high treason by overthrowing elected governments by force -- then pardon themselves. Vicha Mahakun submits two reports to fight the graft that allowed Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhaya to get away with killing -- and PM Prayut hides them from the media.

Another whitewash is in the works -- for PM Prayut plans that as long as they "act honestly and decide based on empirical evidence", those involved in procuring anti-Covid medical equipment, medicines and vaccines cannot be sued.

If so, CCSA head Donald Duck and Minister of Public Health Mickey Mouse could not be sued even though they lacked the competence to evaluate evidence presented and so made gross errors.

In a special cabinet meeting in April, PM Prayut took on the authority to manage any aspect of the Covid-19 fight himself. Thus, no matter what anybody does related to Covid-19, PM Prayut bears ultimate accountability -- which cannot be washed away.

No whitewash!

Re: "Medics' legal immunity in limbo", (BP, Aug 11).

The issue is well reported and full of double speak by those involved. As the saying goes, if one cannot convince the public, then confuse them.

Please allow me to offer an alternative to end this limbo for good. Just ask those proponents of the draft decree to name a government in any country of the world that has or is in the process of having such a decree to exempt wrongdoings by front-line healthcare professionals and amateur administrators.

One can venture to state that if this decree is enacted in Thailand, she would be the laughing stock of the whole world and recorded in the history books for its quaintness in administrating this once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic of Covid-19 in the same way it would the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

Re: "8,000 to be cleared after kratom's removal from narcotics list", (BP, Aug 11).

Praise where it's due: The government has taken a step in the right direction by having kratom removed from the list of illegal drugs in popular use. This is especially good news for the "more than 8,000 convicted people and suspects (who) will be cleared of legal charges" that were always unjust.

Now do the same for marijuana and the unjust criminal charges for its sale and use, and continue moving forward until people may in accord with more moral law, freely choose how they waste their lives using their recreational drugs of choice provided that they not directly harm or threaten to harm others.

Such decriminalisation and legalisation in line with the established policy for the more socially harmful drug alcohol, along with similar regulation and taxation, also happens to be the most effective route to reducing the harms that drugs cause to society and to others.

I was pleased to read about the local nasal sprays to enter human trials. This treatment has been found to reduce symptoms of Covid-19.