The Venerable Mettananda Bhikkhu's excellent and informative article points to one conclusion: the Ecclesiastical Law and the hierarchy it has established, together with all monastic ranks and titles, are harmful to Thai Buddhism rather than helpful, and ought to be swept away like fallen leaves that obscure a path.

I do not recall reading any teaching of the Buddha that declares monks ought to have ranks and titles, nor that they should be organised into a hierarchy, nor that such a hierarchy should be appointed and controlled by any government. If such teachings of the Buddha exist, I would be grateful if some learned scholar would kindly point them out and cite their source.

The ecclesiastical hierarchy in Thailand is a Thai invention, and the fact that it was instituted by the brutal dictator Sarit Thanarat is hardly a glowing recommendation. The very concept is anti-Buddhist. And why? Because it stimulates craving for power and worldly honours among the monks, who should instead be cultivating detachment, "desirelessness" and compassion. Indeed, a monk who wants a high rank or title by that very wanting makes himself unworthy of it.

The principle of seniority, too, is the bane of both Buddhist and Hindu monasticism. Seniority is the last refuge of the ego. A monk may have uprooted his ego in every other respect, but the minute that the thought "I am senior to him" arises in his mind, the ego shows its face again. Grey hairs do not a holy man make, but purity within.

The Venerable Mettananda is correct when he says that Thai Buddhism needs a radical reform. It should begin with the repeal of the Ecclesiastical Law and the dismantling of the entire ecclesiastical hierarchy. But who in Thailand has the courage or the authority to undertake such a daunting task?

Paramananda Pahari

Bangkok

------------------------

Put generals in barracks, not on the boards of governors

Re: "Military men head telecom boards", Business, November 8.

If people want any more proof that the military dictatorship has no plans to cede power once sham elections are held, they should read the story buried on page 4B of Wednesday's edition of The Nation.

I wonder how the telecom industry feels now that these brilliant military strategists - an assistant army chief and an air chief marshal - will be manning the cannons at TOT and CAT Telecom. Their appointments should be another warning to foreign companies to steer clear of investing in new operations in Thailand, lest they want to have to answer to bozos who are used to barking orders at grunts to get things done, not to mention the fact that they have no experience in the industry.

I'd like to see some investigative reporting on the part of The Nation into how many other jack-booted charlatans are now sitting on boards or are in charge of state agencies they have no business running. Giving these guys positions of power at state agencies is like giving a loaded gun to a toddler and should sound the alarm bells throughout civil society.

As this coup starts turning into a bad joke, foreign companies that once considered Thailand a safe place to invest, are finding more professional pastures in Vietnam, of all places. And when the camouflage fashion trend runs dry and people realise that the military junta has turned back the clock on what was a dynamic and forward-thinking country, it will be too late. Not only will the people suffer, but so will the economy of this blacklisted nation.

Joshua Andersson

Hua Hin

------------------------

Thai regulations discourage foreign investment

As someone who has a great fondness for Thailand and, until recently, seriously considered making a Bt200 million tourism and property investment in Thailand, I have to say I am dismayed at the current foreign business investment climate and the lack of clarity from this or the last government regarding the issues the Shin Corp investigation has thrown up.

There is also no sign whatsoever of any change in attitude from the government. I have been trying for months, without satisfaction, to establish a legal vehicle to make this investment.

I have now given up on Thailand.

I will instead take my money to the favourable foreign investment climates offered by Malaysia and the communist government in Vietnam. I find it curious that it is easier to make a property-based investment in a communist country like Vietnam than in a supposed open economy like Thailand.

My investment, if it had been made in Thailand, would have generated employment, taxes and ongoing inward flows to the Thai economy. The following would have been the benefits as I see it:

1. VAT at 7 per cent is charged on all supplier invoices and is not reclaimable.

2. Three per cent withholding tax is charged on all invoices. Then there are company profits tax, personal income tax and all the taxes paid by employees, contractors and their employees.

3. The foreign buyers of properties in Thailand would also contribute to the economy by either spending time and money in the country or renting the properties out and paying the appropriate taxes.

Surely all these inflows of capital would benefit the Thai economy, as they do in Western economies? In the UK, where I'm based, anybody can come to London and buy whatever property they can afford, pay their transfer taxes, which generate vast sums for the government here, pay income tax on the net rental receipts and pay capital gains tax to the government on their disposal.

The reality right now is that Thailand is a high-tax and unfriendly environment for foreign investors. If Thailand does not want foreign investors, why does the government not just say so?

The world is a big place, with opportunities elsewhere for foreign capital.

Paul Murtagh

London

------------------------

Corruption is an endemic disease that eats from within

Re: "A very long time before real justice will ever be served in Thailand", Letters, November 9.

"Sucatash" writes that Thailand has "compromised itself too fast in the globalisation of value, with corruption leading the way to reach unparalleled limits".

It is true that Thailand is confronting waves of globalisation, but we did not pick up corruption from this process. The truth is, if we did not invent corruption locally, we made it an art form. It is like a virus embedded in our operating system. In five plus years Thaksin probably programmed many more viruses into the system. His main contribution was to run a conglomerate by using government subsidies to reduce corporate expenditure and drive up his stock value. When the timing was right he sold his shares with a planned tax-free windfall in billions.

It will take gigantic efforts to cleanse Thaksin's viruses from the system. The fact that Thailand is still functioning is altogether amazing.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

------------------------

Revenue Dept bigwigs are disgraceful role models

Re: "Deputy PM backs officials over tax-free deal", News, November 9.

It truly boggles the mind to see the audacity and disregard for ethics displayed by Revenue Department chief Sirote Swasdipanich and permanent secretary of finance Suparut Kawatkul in their U-turn on the taxation of Thaksin's children in the Ample Rich deal. Blaming their erstwhile decision on their subordinates "without seeking the consent of their superiors" borders on lying to the public as both can be seen "fiercely defending" the decision in the February 3 edition of The Nation, which is still available online.

It is even more disheartening to see Deputy PM and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula readily jumping to the defence of these spineless bureaucrats, stating his investigations "found that there had been no consultation" between them and their subordinates. How can this be true if the said officials defended the decision of their subordinates in public using elaborate legal arguments? Are these the new regime's "honest mistakes"? What example does this set? How can Thailand ever move forward with role models like this?

DB

Chiang Mai

------------------------

Animal rights in China have gone to the dogs

Please help to publicise the horrible culling of pet dogs taking place in China right now. In Beijing any dogs over 35 cm in height are being beaten to death, hung, or poisoned by the authorities, who claim they are cleaning up for the Olympic Games. In Yunnan they clubbed 50,000 dogs to death on the street and even buried pet dogs alive. Photos were on the Internet last week.

China has a terrible record of animal abuse, skinning cats and dogs alive for the fur industry, and it should be exposed to the world so they are forced to stop the cruelty. Their animal markets are brutal and cruel and definitely not for the squeamish.

Marianne Willemse

Bangkok

------------------------

Islam offers control of women, not protection

Re: "Muslim women might not want Western-style equality", Letters, November 9.

The person hiding behind the Latin "Vox Populi" asks the following and by doing so gives himself away: "But has he not considered that Muslim women actually prefer their protected status and would not choose the risky alternative of Western-style equality?"

Muslim men love to speak of "protecting" women when in fact what they mean is "controlling" women. They do this under the excuse of "cultural differences" and anyone attempting to change this is condemned for their lack of cultural awareness. In fact, this is an issue of human rights, and once again Islam, which relegates women to second-class status, reveals itself to be more of a brotherhood than a genuine religion.

Dean Barrett

Bangkok