OPINION

Drug war reckoning

Re: "Expansive gestures from hopeful leaders," (Opinion, Jan 10) and "Thaksin's war on drugs a crime against humanity," (Opinion, Dec 13, 2013).

I follow Khun Veera Prateepchaikul's column with much interest, and been wondering if ever Thaksin's drug war can be tried by the International Criminal Court.

The ICC announced last year their investigation into Duterte's deadly drug war, which he fashioned from Thaksin's drug war.

I remember reading that a human rights group petitioned UNCHR to investigate Thaksin, along with the late senator Kraisak Choonhavan writing this related piece for the Bangkok Post.

I hope the Post can explore this issue with the ICC. So many families in Thailand are still grieving their loss.

No harm in asking

Re: "Don't believe all you read," (Editorial, Feb 9).

The Bangkok Post accurately outlines Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's failures to respect basic principles of truth seeking and recklessly accused the demonstration school of Thammasat University of teaching courses that distorted history.

But the failure is a tad more profound. The students and teachers at Thammasat demonstration school clearly understand the importance of a critical review of current beliefs in protecting us from retaining false beliefs.

Honest people who value truth and who do not wish to propagate fake beliefs insist on a healthy discussion that considers other possibilities.

Unless intellectual and moral honesty are deemed by unjust law and deluded social mores to be bad, Thammasat demonstration school, following the sound example of historians who actively review Thai history and society to better avoid mindlessly repeating fake claims, is entirely in the right.

Save those trees

Re: "Dam plans threaten forests," (BP, Feb 2).

We must not allow Royal Irrigation Department (RID) officials to fool the public by touting claims that they will "reforest an area at least twice the size of the forest lost to reservoirs".

Even if this were true (a highly dubious claim in light of past reforestation failures), people need to recognise that tree plantations are no substitute for destroyed rich natural forests.

It doesn't matter if RID plants twice the area of forests they flood or 20 times the area, it is virtually impossible to replace the ecological values of the fertile forests that would be lost to reservoirs.

The promised planted forests will not contain the plant diversity and habitats needed to sustain tigers, leopards, pangolins, hornbills, elephants, gaur, civet cats, gibbons, binturong and the myriad of other threatened species that depend on healthy native forests for survival.

It should also be questioned why RID wants to bring yet more agricultural land under irrigation. Does the country really need to produce yet more rice that rots in warehouses or is sold for low prices in international markets?

Q&A leads the way

Re: "Can't beat question time," (PostScript, Feb 7).

Qestion time (Q&A) in British Parliament is the most significant evidence of the merits and the purpose of a democracy.

It is also a sign of a civic society where leaders are held accountable to their party and the constituents who elect them. The British Q&A sessions must be added to one of the world's wonders because it keeps our faith in democracy.

Sadly, there is no Q&A session in US institutions, but there are intense partisan debates in the conference or committee hearings.

So far, the American House and Senate have maintained their grace by calling the opposition members "My honourable friend" during debates.

However, the Senate filibuster in the United States of America has become a spectacle designed to prolong the discussion and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment or other debatable issues.

Usually, a filibuster session is amusing because the Senate hall looks empty, and there is no one to listen to the chosen ones. So much American democracy?

Democracy in many Asian countries has degenerated into dog fights, fistfights, hurtling chairs, brawls, and beatings during elections and in parliament sessions.

Some find it exciting to see a bloodbath in the halls of Asian parliaments.

Forget about Q&A sessions; Thai parliamentarians even do not show up.

Fortunately, Thais need not worry when the government is a coalition of the unwilling? I must say that British democracy is the only hope that still kindles and excites the minds and soothes the human spirit.