OPINION

Take on the junta

Re: "Junta court hands Suu Kyi 4 years for incitement," (BP, Dec 7).

In my opinion rather than just reacting, the international community, including the UN, Asean, the UK, EU, China, US and others should take the following actions:

*Mobilise the UN General Assembly (UNGA) with a motion to invoke a "responsibility to protect"; to protect the country's people from mass atrocity crimes committed by Myanmar's military; with the eventual outcome of a peacekeeping mission on the basis of the 2005 UN World Summit commitments. The UNGA could then mandate the UN Security Council to operationalise the initiative. Hopefully, the UNGA decision would force an abstention vote from both China and Russia in the Security Council.

* Strengthen, broaden and activate the wide array of sanctions already passed by bilateral and multilateral bodies and have these applied in a personalised manner to dependents of the senior Tatmadaw leadership, particularly in educational institutions overseas (where they are probably enrolled under assumed names).

*Offer full diplomatic recognition to the National Unity Government, which is the parallel government of opposition and provide civil, humanitarian and governance support within Myanmar..

*Mobilise the Buddhist communities of Southeast Asia to challenge the monasteries of Buddhist monks in Myanmar, with links to the junta, to convince the leadership that the current time or circumstances are not "propitious" for undertaking violent actions against the people.

Re: "Thailand-UN at 75: Peace and security," (Opinion, Dec 7).

Thailand can be also proud of its contribution to the UN programmes and activities in the social field.

One of the most recent examples is offered by Thailand's sponsorship of a comprehensive UN resolution (43 paragraphs) entitled "Policies and programmes involving youth".

By this resolution the UN General Assembly invites its 193 Member States to actively engage civil society, in particular youth organisations, in decision-making processes regarding environmental policy and programming initiatives, aimed at countering climate change, desertification, land deterioration and biodiversity loss, and at strengthening youth involvement, their capacity-building and resilience, in particular those in developing countries, and at ensuring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Re: "Jabs not the Holy Grail," (Editorial, Dec 4).

Implementing the Bangkok Post's Omicron suppression strategy could be the worst thing to do, for Thailand and the world.

Offering no scientific justifying reason or evidence, the Bangkok Post editorial piece assumes Omicron needs stopping, as soon as possible. Scientifically, this makes no sense. Doesn't, in fact, present scientific findings, suggest opposite strategy could produce a far healthier outcome?

Consider the actual two preliminary scientific findings. First, Omicron seems easily transmitted. Is that bad?

Not necessarily, specially in light of the initially reported second scientific fact. That is, this new variant seems to have mild, not serious, effect on humans.

Excuse me, isn't this great news?

Consider what many scientific studies have shown over the last year. Those who get Covid are left with strong and long-lasting immunities, superior immunities to vaccine -produced ones.

So, a mild case of Omicron, possibly no worst than the negative side effects of two vaccines jabs, could offer the promises of a far better protected public, than vaccinations and pills do. And, it is production cost free!

Another social benefit of not suppressing this variant is, the resultant protection includes no vaxxers and reluctant ones, whether they want it or not. Easy transmission means equal transmission to any and all. Therefore, herd immunity becomes far more likely, as all are equally exposed and immunised.

Also, economy destroying lockdowns and tourist lockouts will no longer be necessary. The spread of Omicron would be more than welcome. It would be celebrated for ending the endless vaccine boosters and variant chasing Big Pharma merry-go-round.

Am I saying this will absolutely happen? No! Too early to tell.

However, early scientific facts suggest this is a more likely positive possibility, than the negative suppression you are promoting without any evidence at all.

And, the dangerous outcome of rushing into your panicky recommendation, is that a rush into an ill-considered suppression drive could block the game changing possibilities, realisable by allowing a super spreading mild variant to naturally spread.

Re: "Royal pardon for prisoners," (BP, Dec 6).

Reading the news brought forth a recurring mystery that has been keeping me up at night. It seems not a day passes without reports in the Bangkok Post of various miscreants being arrested (and presumably jailed).

They run the gamut from Ponzi schemers to bogus medics to mushroom pickers to pangolin smugglers. Surely the Thai prison system can't hold all these ne'er-do-wells, even with the occasional pardons.

I hope the Bangkok Post can do an investigation into the capacity of the Thai prison system, the number of current inmates and types of prisoners who are being released in these pardons. Also, the last sentence said that of the 282,620 inmates 224,674 have been convicted. Are innocent people being incarcerated?

Re: "Protest etiquette," (PostBag, Dec 9).

Perhaps one should be more sympathetic to Vint Chavala for the offence caused him by the pro-democracy protesters with their "foul language and obscene gestures" more commonly used by "slum-dwellers".

However, Bangkokians will know Yannawa is the neighbouring khwaeng to Klong Toey, often referred to as the city's largest "slum dwelling".

It is also home to some of the finest and kindest folk in Thailand despite their "vulgarities ".

Hailing from a country whose language has always embraced robust vulgarities from Chaucer onwards, I have no problem with the protesters' means of expression.

What I find truly obscene are draconian sentences from the courts, denial of bail all enforced by excessive police brutality.

Re: "Jabs not the answer," (PostBag, Dec 6).

Eric Bahrt misses the point once again in his letter. Yes, there is a catastrophe in the UK, and probably elsewhere, but this is not caused by "Covid madness" or vaccines as Mr Bahrt implies. It is caused by hospitals being full of Covid patients. These patients take up beds, overwhelm medical staff and are a potential infection source for vulnerable cancer patients or anyone else suffering from a serious illness. Should hospitals pretend Covid does not exist and send those patients home with a lemon tea and a paracetamol?

The reference to "The Global Fund" is rather misleading. This organisation has provided additional funding that "supports countries to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on programmes to fight HIV, TB and malaria". Perhaps if not a single cent had been spent on Covid we would all be living happily ever after -- or not.

So come on Mr Bahrt, enlighten us with your wisdom so that we can get out of this "Covid madness". Put forward real practical ideas that governments and the medical profession can implement to solve this crisis.

Let me see if I understand it. A restaurant is where people go to have a meal but might also drink alcohol. A bar is where people go to drink alcohol but might also have a meal.

Our health authorities in their infinite wisdom have decided that while bars are dangerous places for spreading Covid-19, restaurants are not.

Therefore, many bar owners in Chiang Mai are putting tables of food or menus at their entrances so that their dangerous bars are now safe restaurants!

Re: "Check the date," (PostBag, Dec 10) & "Waste of good food", (PostBag, Dec 6).

I would like to reassure Michel Muscadier and Chris Boyle that I am well-acquainted with the Thai calendar and also that the salmon was eaten on 29 Nov and certainly not ditched. My fault for not indicating this or explaining more clearly that if I had waited for another few days then the consequences might have been unfortunate.

Incidentally, it was very good and I will certainly buy more in 2565.

Re: "Saintly Santa," (PostBag, Dec 4).

I would like to add some additional information relative to Mr Elf's comments about the character of Mr Claus and some of his patterns.

As was pointed out, Mr Claus seems to move about freely without any regard for immigration, overflight, or special airspace penetration permits, yet also doesn't trigger any alarms on radar or early warning systems.

Long ago, this came to the attention of certain regulatory agencies who looked into the matter and combed through data to find evidence that could be used as proof that laws were being broken.

Also researched were the records of all countries to establish if any pilot's licence was issued to Mr Claus. None was found, and not a single shred of evidence could be established to show that Mr Claus violated any country or special airspace.

Based on that, and the fact that no known accident, incident, or mishap had ever occurred, the matter was dropped and it is believed that Mr. Claus has exemplary high demonstrated ability.