Re: "Pheu Thai 'renegades' face chop", (BP, June 5).
It's a sad testimony on the divisive state of politics when MPs are expected to blindly adhere to party directives about how to vote on bills rather than vote according to their consciences and the perceived benefits to constituents and the country. Putting aside the actual merits of the budget bill, which can be debated, it is disappointing to see that "renegade" MPs would be ousted from their party for voting in line with what they think is best for the people they were elected to represent.
Samanea Saman
Anutin gets it right
Re: "Anutin defends pot decriminalisation", (BP, June 15).
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is correct in defending marijuana usage and saying that no deaths have been reported from it solely. What is not said is that abuse of anything is problematic and cannot be accounted for since humans collectively have the potential to obsess on nearly everything.
The scheduling of marijuana as a "Schedule I" substance on the narcotics list was done for political reasons, not scientific validity.
Many of the drugs listed in this category are there because they expand consciousness, such as magic mushrooms and LSD, and are not addictive or physically dangerous.
The listing was done by President Nixon to try and quell the social uprising of the 60s and 70s and use criminalisation as a weapon against his political opponents.
Marijuana has been used for nearly 5,000 years for its medicinal properties with no issues until my lifetime when it is was criminalised for political reasons. Time to fix this injustice, since the laws did not stop people from using it.
Darius Hober
Hire Eric Bahrt
Re: "Immune response", (PostBag, June 4).
I reiterate my prior requests that the Bangkok Post employs Eric Bahrt, a regular letter writer, as a crank columnist so that he is not a distraction from sensible items in PostBag.
I grow weary of the incessant pontification; for example, Bahrt complains that sick people disrupt his life. Really? Clown.
Hire him on the spot and remove him from PostBag.
Chris Allen
Stop land theft
Re: "Bail granted to deputy minister on Khao Yai encroachment case", (BP, June 10).
I'm glad the court has granted bail to Deputy Minister Kanokwan, accused of encroaching on Khao Yai; justice must not only be done but be seen to be done if Thailand is to have the robust rule of law we sorely need.
But ex-MP Pareena Kraikupt noted the NACC now is investigating 60 MPs and two senators for the same offence -- and the results are long overdue.
It's a simple matter of matching title deeds and comparing them against aerial photographs -- so why the excessive delay?
To speed matters, we should offer whistle-blowers a hefty reward for information leading to the conviction of anybody infringing on or misusing state land.
The probe should cover both Sor Por Kor and Por Tor Bor 5 deeds, which is land allocated to poor farmers, against their actual holders.
Stop the land steal.
Burin Kantabutra
