COINING A CATCHY SLOGAN
Almost a year ago the disappearance of the memorial plaque of the 1932 Revolution was described in these pages as being both “hilarious and deeply sinister”.
Now that the National Anti-Corruption Commission has squirmed out of conducting “an open and aggressive hunt for the truth” ( BP, April 2) regarding Gen Prawit Wongsuwon’s luxury watches, those words once again seem to resonate.
If we are really about to embark on a year of electioneering it occurs to me that all parties need a good campaign slogan to get the voters support. Now that the newly registered Pracharath Party is expected to back Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to make a comeback as prime minister may I suggest “Hilarious yet deeply sinister” fits the bill perfectly.
You know it makes sense.
Yanawa David
WHISTLEBLOWERS PUNISHED
Re: “Facing jail, editor apologies for anti-pollution posting”, (Online, April 4).
I had to read this story twice before I actually believed that the editor of Citylife Chiang Mai magazine, Pim Kemasingki, had apologised to the the Chiang Mai governor, Pawin Chamniprasat, for posting an allegedly “blasphemous” painting of Kings Mengrai, Ramkhamhaeng and Ngam Muang online.
Of course, we can safely assume she only did so because of the outrageous threat by the governor to press criminal charges against her. Being unaware of the status of Citylife and the backing Ms Pim might have mustered if she had stood her ground, I do sympathise with her plight.
But this is in the same category as the Maharasakham University whistleblower being forced to grovel and apologise at the feet of the corrupt senior civil servants who were siphoning off funds designed to help the destitute.
Standing up for what is right and proper just doesn’t work in Thailand.
David Brown
COOPERATION, NOT RHETORIC
Recent reactions to air pollution in Chiang Mai have raised questions about freedom of speech and shown a lack of dynamism in tackling the poor air quality. Installing more monitoring stations doesn’t reduce pollution, nor does punishing a news magazine.
Forget the rhetoric and let’s all work together for better health. Tackle vehicle and factory emissions and punish offenders. Encourage electric vehicles by making them tax free. Breathless
BITING INTO SUPERSTITION
Re: “Jaguars facing threat from Chinese craze for fangs”, (Online, April 6).
Now we learn that Bolivia’s once-thriving jaguar population is under threat from growing Chinese demand for the animals’ teeth and skulls. When will the Chinese be educated that there are no magical medicinal powers to be gained from all the endangered species which seems to be part of their culture? In addition to these jaguar parts, they include rhino horn, shark’s fin, tigers’ penises, and more.
Perhaps those in power in China should inform the people that they might just as well chew their fingernails or toenails. I wish they would, but perhaps they too believe in the fallacy of wonderful medicinal powers from those animal parts? Martin R
HARDLINE ATTITUDE PREVAILS
Re: “Trump fans flames”, (PostBag, April 7).
I did not suggest, as Eric Bahrt claims, that “the Israelis murdered these Palestinians in self-defence”, instead I pointed out that the troops opened fire when a supposedly peaceful demonstration turned violent, and some demonstrators attempted to breach a border fence. A less lethal response might have been a better option, but the troops were defending the border.
Mahmoud Abbas might want to open negotiations with Israel, but they are hindered by the extremist Hamas, which in the past has refused to do so.
In 2017 Hamas appeared to soften its stance on the issue of negotiations, but it continues to refuse to recognise Israel’s right to exist, therefore the Israeli government rejects any contact with Hamas. It’s a tragic situation, and no resolution seems likely because of hardline attitudes on both sides. Robin Grant
SIMPLE SOLUTION TO OBESITY
Re: “What we know (and don’t know) about how to lose weight”, ( Life, April 3).
We read the same old nonsense that there is tremendous controversy over which diet can prevent obesity and there are no long-term studies to answer that question.
As I’ve noted a million times already, The China Study, which observed thousands of people for decades, found that “obese people simply did not exist” among those in the study.
They were on a low-fat, plant-based diet and they only consumed limited amounts of refined carbohydrates such as sugar and white flour. That diet can end obesity. So why does the media keep complicating a problem when the solution is so simple? Eric Bahrt Chiang Mai
OFFICIALS MOCK DHARMA
Re: “Bubble of faith”, (PostBag, April 7).
Kuldeep Nagi writes, “Since we are living in a Buddhist country, we should appreciate the fact that we are already in heaven.”
On the contrary, the first of the Four Noble Truths and the foundation of Gautama Buddha’s Teaching states “there is suffering”. And what is hell if not a place of unhappiness? No creature is exempt from it, nor is the dharma a method which eliminates the pain of conditional existence.
It is, however, the means to transcend the illusory separate self. Having realised such self-transcendence the bite of a snake is just as painful, but there remains no one identified with that pain to call it “mine”.
Thus, while Thailand is blessed to be a nation where the Buddha’s dharma is cherished, we also have, for example, our fair share of officials who do their part in offsetting that precious gift.
Suffering may be understood as the ultimate impetus for taking up the practice of Buddhism, but Thailand is no more a heaven than is Disneyland.
Michael Setter