MORE THAIS MUST SPEAK UP

Re: “No thanks to the SRT,” (PostBag, Jan 9).

I agree with Khun Songdej Praditsmanont that PostBag should be much more like the Letters to the Editor column of the Times of London. I think the BP editor’s problem is that not many readers feel strongly enough about issues of the day to go public about it.

If, as Thais, we don’t ask enough about issues of the day to make our voices heard, question the policies and decisions of the government and keep the government accountable, then we have only ourselves to blame for the self-serving government that we have been getting.

If, on the other hand, we speak out, then we can get governance which serves national needs rather than those of vested national interests.

Good examples of such speaking out would be those social-minded netizens and the National Anti-Corruption Commission who highlighted the 33-million-baht Bang Sue station name-plaque scandal and whom Khun Songdej thanked in his letter.

Another example is Khun Chuvit Kamolvisit’s expose of Chayanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant, allegedly a key figure in a Chinese triad here. A third example would be the public interest in the National Parks Department chief’s alleged seeking of bribes for posts after the NACC, PACC and CCD police were tipped off by Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn.

The BP should keep the media spotlight on these and other cases with sustained investigative journalism. Thais who value a government “of the people, for the people and by the people” must be heard loud and clear through letters to PostBag and other outlets. That will bring more readers to the Post and help give us muchneeded government accountability. Burin Kantabutra