Case of deja vu
Re: "EC urged to bar MFP leader Pita", (BP, May 10).
The staggering hypocrisy of the Palang Pracharath Party takes some beating. Their leader, Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, is still under investigation relating to the watch scandal, yet they are trying to take down Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party on the grounds that he has broken election law by owning media shares, something he denies. This is a desperate move of a party running scared.
There is definite deja vu about this ploy, harking back to what happened to Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and the ultimate disbanding of the MFP.
There is one law for generals and one law for everyone else. The wishes of the Thai people, particularly the young, for a fair democracy are of no interest to the generals. The massive and ever-increasing defence budget attests to where their priorities lie. If the generals lose out at the election box, then they will most likely try to form a minority government. And if that doesn't work, well, then I think we all know what might happen.
Howard Stark
PM's Covid call
Re: "Virus curbs set to return to schools", (BP, May 9).
Thailand's leader, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has instructed the Education and Health ministries to bring in measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Well, it's been over three years now, and even the WHO has declared that emergency measures are no longer needed to control Covid-19. Even in nearby countries such as Laos and Cambodia, few people are wearing masks now.
So what gives with the prime minister of the kingdom? This declaration is his last mistake, foolishly made right before an election.
He should have learned from the experiences of other countries which recently had elections after imposing strict Covid-19 measures on the populace, such as Finland, Australia, and New Zealand; in all cases, the electorate resoundingly rejected the incumbent governments in place.
People want to be treated as adults and make the decision themselves on whether they want to wear masks or not, or get more vaccines.
What they don't want is to have the government mandating everything, telling them how to go about their daily lives.
So I guess Thais who value freedom should vote for someone other than Prayut's political party.
Yet, something tells me that the other parties would not enact many different measures with regard to the coronavirus.
Paul
Replying to critics
Re: "It's getting dull", (PostBag, May 11).
Tarquin Chufflebottom once again makes my point that since my critics virtually never can dispute my arguments, they want me censored.
As for Michael Setter, whom Tarquin also wants censored, sometimes I strongly agree with Setter, and other times I think he's off the wall.
That's why in the past, I've had letters published in which I disputed his arguments. But I never called for him to be censored.
And if my critics think I'm so boring, why do they read everything I write? Why don't they just skip my letters?
As I've said before, my critics are not afraid that I'm wrong; they're terrified that I'm right!
Eric Bahrt
CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
Fax: +02 6164000 email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th
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