OPINION

India can lead

Re: "G20-2023: What is India's agenda?" (Opinion, Dec 6).

The fact that India begins the G20 presidency in December is a most significant event in Asia and the world. In 2023, India will not only host a promising summit but will conduct crucial diplomatic negotiations on issues of regional, inter-regional and global cooperation.

Experts and diplomats affirm that the world is crying out for a strong, independent voice to provide moral guidance. The only realistic candidate is India which is sensitive to the unprecedented challenges faced by developing countries.

If India has the support of all colleagues in G20, she will be able to bring a substantial contribution to the revival of multilateralism which is traversing a dangerous decline.

False interpretation

Re: "Myanmar monk militia: Buddhist clergy backing junta," (BP, Dec 8).

I was impressed by senior Buddhist monk Sitagu's insightful explanation that coup-maker and ultranationalist killer, army chief Min Aung Hlaing, is the model of a "benevolent king".

Monks condoning killing and lying for a military dictator waging war against his own people seem to seriously pervert the Buddha's wise insights and teachings.

Everyone deserves a win

Re: "Cabinet to review 2am limit," (BP, Dec 6).

As the Tourism and Sports Ministry mulls allowing nightspots in selected areas to open until 2am, we should seek win-win solutions that meet the needs of tourist-dependent industries as well as concerns that road accidents will rise -- for both groups have valid points.

I'd let the market decide on closing times within the permitted areas; let each firm decide for itself. But to reduce road fatalities, we need:

(a) Extra police checkpoints at exits from venue areas, well covered by the media to reduce bribery.

(b) "Designated Driver" programmes whereby one person in each car must abstain from drinking the entire evening and drive on the way home.

(c) Offer free breathalyser tests when patrons exit after 10 pm. Photograph results for the designated driver to compare against results at police checkpoints.

(d) Encourage rides home via metered taxis or ride-hailing cars such as those of Bolt or Grab, at the passenger's cost.

When I was in Paris many years ago, taxi fares doubled after midnight to encourage drivers to come out, and that's fair enough.

Boost tourist income while making roads safer.

Decisions were made

Re: "Fresh concerns over Covid," (Business, Dec 5).

Since Thailand did away with Covid precautions including compulsory face masks, tourists have returned together with the risks they bring; just wait for the apocalyptic return of the Chinese.

The proverbial XXX will definitely hit the fan.

Anyway, how can you expect tourists to wear face masks when they stop them smoking their marijuana joints?

Way to go, Thailand....

Masks work

Re: "Simply outrageous," (PostBag, Dec 10).

I agree with JT's letter that PostBag is publishing too many letters from Covid sceptics, and once again I have to respond to one of these as Michael Setter has demonstrated (again) his inability to spot dubious science.

The "masks don't work" paper he cites (masked efficiency) actually tried to make the case that surgical masks are just as good as N95s, not that masks don't work at all. It found surgical masks were not statistically less effective than N95s.

Nevertheless, it has been decried by many medical professionals as flawed. The study randomly assigned healthcare workers (HCW) a surgical or N95 mask, but only while working with Covid patients.

1. Only 81% of the N95 wearers wore them all the time at work, leaving them open to infection the rest of the time.

2. The study did nothing to assess whether the HCW caught Covid at work or outside the workplace, where they were not required to mask as part of the study, even during periods of high community transmission.

3. A quarter of the participants never cared for Covid patients, but were still included in the data analysis.

4. It's unethical that some HCW were assigned surgical masks when we know that they would have been at greater risk of infection than if they had been given an N95. It's like doing a randomised control trial of parachutes where some participants are given an umbrella.

We don't need more flawed studies about whether masks work, we know they do and that N95s offer superior protection. It's basic physics.