FTA Watch welcomes the appeal by Michael J Montesano for "clear, cogent and serious debate". But we do not see how any debate, rational or otherwise, can be conducted in the absence of information.

Repeated requests for access to draft texts made to both the Thai and the US government sides negotiating the Thai-US Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) have yielded blanket refusals. There is some doubt as to whether the Thai side has even bothered to develop its own draft text and simply responds to the US text.

At least US taxpayers will have a chance to see the FTA when it goes to Congress for approval. In Thailand, there are no "ratification phases" as Montesano claims. The government argues no parliamentary scrutiny is necessary and that the deal will be negotiated and agreed to before the Thai taxpayer knows what it is.

We are flattered that Montesano claims "the job of debating is left to rather utopian non-governmental organisation [NGO] activists". In fact, FTA Watch is a coalition not just of NGOs, but also of academics and, most importantly, people's organisations of farmers, workers and people living with HIV/Aids, those whose lives will be most directly affected by the FTA. There is no utopia involved.

We are surprised Montesano should refer to "the efforts of Washington's representatives to educate the Thai public themselves". Education must not be confused with propaganda.

The US appears to think Thais are to believe the FTA would yield tremendous gains for Thai exports and minuscule ones for the US.

We take exception to Montesano's claim that "NGO activists and their sympathisers", which we assume includes ourselves, have "failed the country", first by not giving reasons against the FTA and second by not articulating an alternative.

We readily admit our efforts are limited both by our own lack of resources and by government efforts to prevent access to information; but even so, we have produced books full of reasons against the FTA.

As for an alternative, Montesano may have noticed that the self-sufficient economy promoted by His Majesty the King is not only advocated by NGOs, but also by academics and government agencies. It may not look very sexy to international capital, but it is still an alternative. A self-sufficient economy is aimed at reducing dependence on export-led growth, which FTAs are designed to promote.

We agree with Montesano that the Early Harvest Agreement already signed with China has brought great demonstrable damage to many sectors of Thai agriculture. However, it is not clear to us that negotiating a second FTA with the US, under the same cloak of secrecy and without parliamentary scrutiny, will somehow redress the balance. Montesano's argument seems to be that since we have let in one monster, we must let them all in.

While we disagree with Montesano on a number of points, we are grateful to him and The Nation for the opportunity to publicise an important issue that both governments seem to want to keep well hidden.

Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul

FTA Watch

Bangkok

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PM's inability to properly govern increasingly obvious

The eminent return of more pro-government riots? The caretaker PM's radio programme continues? Finger-pointing at a charismatic someone, yet not naming that someone who is trying to oust him? This past week, he has caused only continuous embarrassment to our beloved nation. May we please wake up from our continuing nightmare? As a solution to help national reconciliation and not let Thaksin continue to divide and bring down our country even further, what if the courts just examine his recent actions and statements?

They will likely find his statements are continuously contradictory and change each day, or even during the same day. He cannot remember what he has said in the past, gets caught up in his inconsistencies and by doing so shows what a danger he poses to the country.

The courts would therefore have the grounds for his immediate dismissal. His sentence? Provide compensation to all of his victims by never being able to serve in public office again and never being able to address the public again, plus pay compensation to every Thai citizen for his continuous premeditated attempts to control the people by using the media in his favour.

We have all grown too tired of Thaksin's continuing charade as he tries to take back the reigns of his dictatorship (which he keeps mistakenly calling democracy).

Carolyn

Bangkok

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Seven deadly sins a useful gauge for current political ills

There has been correspondence concerning Buddhist values and philanthropy of late in the columns of your newspaper and comparisons of the national CEO with other rich men who have fast been divesting themselves of the vast majority of their financial assets. I thought it might be useful to test the Christian seven deadly sins against those in the fore of Thai politics. They are, of course:

Pride: an excessive belief in one's own abilities.

Envy: the desire for others' traits, status, abilities or situation.

Gluttony: an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

Lust: an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

Anger: manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

Greed: the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual.

Sloth: the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

I shall leave your readers to make their own judgement as to whom, if anyone, these essentially Christian vices, but useful markers of immoral behaviour that find favour in many religions, apply.

John James Tasker

Bangkok

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Criticism of US role in Iraq based on erroneous claims

Re: "Writer was a bit selective in citing TV news report on Iraq", Letters, June 29.

It seems some people wilfully misrepresent facts and make logically fallacious arguments to support their false preconceptions and bias. Tommy's letter exemplifies this.

Tommy's first argument makes the sophomoric claim that the chemical weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) found in Iraq were not the right WMDs. My, how picky we are. In an attempt to bolster his argument and justify his hate for America, Tommy goes on to diminish the validity of UN Resolution 1441, suggesting it was not ironclad and was "seized". Resolution 1441 was passed unanimously on November 8, 2002, as "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations". Resolution 1441 asserts that Iraq must "verify the existence or destruction of its remaining unaccounted-for WMD stockpiles". This language clearly includes old or new stockpiles.

Tommy's second argument lambastes the credibility of the spy I had quoted via the logical fallacy of the "straw man" by stating the spy was unnamed. So what? If Tommy had not been so biased to begin with and had bothered to research my reference to The Washington Times, he would have seen the spy's name is Pravda. Pravda makes a convincing case that Russia may have had a hand in hiding the WMDs that Tommy would consider the "right ones".

Last, Tommy makes a tu quoque logical fallacy by stating the US sold Saddam Hussein arms back in the 1980s. This is also a red-herring argument and irrelevant to the topic. Gosh, with all these logical fallacies, misrepresentations and red herrings, who can take Tommy seriously?

Sue P

Chai Nat

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Bangkok elephants have worse lot than those in zoos

Re: "Jumbos must stay!" News photo, July 4.

Wildlife activists protest elephants going to Australia. Why don't we see those same activists protesting about the poor elephants paraded around the concrete jungle that is Bangkok on a nightly basis with their handlers begging for money to feed them?

Given the condition of these creatures and the state of many of the local animal facilities here, I can understand the concern.

 Animals kept in places like the Sydney Zoo, however, are kept in a realistic environment and taken care of by professionals. Surely, this is a better fate than being hit by a car or breaking a leg down a hole in the sidewalk in Bangkok.

Christian Lloyd

Bangkok

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English teachers should ditch the regional accents, mate

Re: "Correct English from native speakers 'noh bloomin' loikly'," Letters, June 16.

What are the rights and wrongs of Sunida's argument? Some good points are made, but many are missed. First and most important, what common standard should be aspired to?

For a "common standard" must be the focus. The term "received English", the Queen's English or the better-understood term, BBC English, should surely be the goal.

There are many English regional accents, but while I could put up with my maths teacher saying Sunida's humorous quote, "Blo'dy think it's blo'dy stupid, Oi blo'dy well do," as spoken by a native of Birmingham (she missed out the ending of "Yo"), I would be unimpressed with my English teacher saying the same.

Then there is the question of the former colonies. I fly to Bangkok and I can just about stand the Thai safety information coming out as an American drawl. Following this logic, perhaps Thais in the future will be saying, "No worries, mate!" a la our Antipodean friends.

It would appear that many farangs want to live and work in Thailand, and teaching English is a good option - hence, Sunida's well-mimicked regional accents.

Are native speakers the best to teach English? Of course they are, but they must teach it with as little regional accent as possible.

Yuri Velasquez

Bangkok

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