Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Prasong Soonsiri insists that the CDC's meeting on divisive issues be secret, including the voting, asking the public to trust the committee's "good intentions".

The last time a public figure said "trust me", he'd just been re-elected by a landslide, so we trusted him - and look where it got us. Not only that, reasonable people can disagree and we have the right to know individual stands so that we can hold them accountable. So no more "trust me", please, Prasong - especially since you were appointed by a government that claims to be committed to transparency and accountability.

At the same time, Prasong's point that a closed-door meeting is more likely to foster frank discussions, rather than posturing for the media, is a valid one.

Thus, I recommend that the discussions be closed, but that the voting be open. This way we can hold each person accountable and see if anybody has hidden agendas. So, stand and be counted, sir, and let all CDC members do likewise.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Minister sends signal that democracy is nearing its end

 Re: "Disruption 'will not be tolerated'", News, April 8.

The attitude and message that was expressed by Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas is very similar to the message that was being conveyed when Thailand was under the iron-fisted military dictators Plaek Pibulsonggram, Sarit Thanarat and Thanom Kittikachorn.

If a culture of intolerance arises where different views cannot be shared or when freedom of expression can be hindered in the name of national unity, it reflects that the culture of impartiality and diversity of thought and ideas in that country is coming to an end.

Most importantly, if a national minister strongly defends this view and thinks that anyone utilising their right to freedom of assembly is a traitor, it indicates that there is a repressive environment in that country.

In fact, the most beautiful aspect of democracy is that a diversity of views can be expressed freely and the right to do so is protected. It is never possible for a democratic society to have everyone share the exact same views as the government, especially if the government is one formed through a coup d'etat.

However, it is possible to force the people to shut their mouths - if the country is being ruled by dictators - using the tactics of Hitler or Stalin to silence those holding different views.

Pokpong Lawansiri

Bangkok

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Thais display quirky side in dealing with YouTube

 Re: "YouTube says it is ready to compromise", News April 8.

It is very generous of YouTube to offer to teach Thai authorities to block individual videos rather than the entire site, but that is too conventional a method to deal with the problem. Thais have their own ways.

Some 40 years ago when I was a kid in school, someone scrawled obscene words across the blackboard and no one admitted to doing it. The whole class was flogged, three whacks each.

Here is another good example. When Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom took office he complained of inefficiency at the ministry. Did he overhaul the organisation? No, that would have been too conventional and tedious. Instead, he held a sacred ritual at the ICT building (with sacrifices such pig heads, chickens, fruits and all) to drive away evil spirits, believed to be the cause of the inefficiency.

Thais like to deal with a problem swiftly, once and for all, sort of like burning down a house to get rid of cockroaches.

Meechai Burapa

Chiang Mai

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American ashamed of Google clowns and the Bush excuse

 As a US citizen living in Thailand, I am ashamed of Google for not withdrawing the YouTube video clip insulting His Majesty the King. I am also embarrassed that some clowns at Google justified this by saying Google retains videos much worse mocking US President George W Bush, implying that the president and the King are equals.

This just reinforces how insular and ignorant some Americans are. I'll bet the spokespersons at Google do not have the slightest idea how insulting and destructive they have been. People burn the US flag and George W Bush in effigy around the world, while they revere the Thai monarchy. No one pays Bush homage the way the Thais respect and honour their king.

While I admire Google, and I am still in awe of their global reach and successful business model, I am gravely disappointed to see that a company that touts vision and values is so hypocritical and insensitive. Sorry Google, you are 100 per cent wrong for not withdrawing the video clip and for making such a ridiculous, insensitive excuse for not doing so.

Outraged Taxpayer

Bangkok

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Internet cafes are ideal for uploading clips anonymously

 I agree with all the letters relating to the government's naive and uneducated overreaction to the offending video clips, but in "Childish reaction or attempt to be seen as a new N Korea?", the writer states that it's not difficult to find someone through their IP address.

Try making a video, dropping it down to your memory stick, walking into your local Internet cafe, registering an account in a false name, uploading the offensive video and walking out. Not that difficult to fly under the radar, if you want anonymity.

Sucatash

Bangkok

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Jumbo nostalgia at the root of annual highway carnage

 Re: "Photograph of Songkran 'fun' explains annual tragedy", Letters, April 7.

I'm in total agreement with Bernard Walker and your excellent columnist Bob Kimmins concerning the ongoing tragedies on Thailand's roads, particularly at Songkran and particularly here in Chiang Mai.

But there is a Thai Highway Code, Bob, and it is comprehensive and remarkably similar to the British version, of, say 20 years ago.

After a couple of near misses some years ago here, I asked my Thai wife to translate some rules. You may find this hard to believe but vehicles making a right turn off a main road or at a major crossroads do have the very last right of way (but try telling this to drivers), while at a roundabout drivers must give way to vehicles already on the roundabout. But it's size and speed that wins the day at the four or five such islands that we have here.

Ever wondered why grey and silver are such popular colours for cars in Thailand? A Thai friend (male - and a good driver) once told me that many Thai men equate their cars to war elephants and thus prefer those colours. Beware! Be warned!

David Hardcastle

Chiang Mai

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Reader offers free advice to information minister

 Re: "ICT minister seeks fair competition, foreign expertise", Opinion, April 8.

The article reads: "The minister [Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom] is also a staunch opponent of privatisation in the telecom sector and is considering reversing the previous government's plans for TOT Plc and CAT Plc, both of which were earlier due to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand."

I have some free advice for Sitthichai, guaranteed worth every satang he has to pay for it: nationalise the cell-phone/Max-fi towers and let the telecom firms lease space on them from the government. This will serve two functions. It will eliminate the hodgepodge of redundant towers and allow the companies to spend the money saved on transmitters and receivers, thus enabling them to cover the entire nation.

I just saw yet another tower going up not far from me for CAT's CDMA network. And for that network only.

On the recent rash of censorship, which must be Sitthichai's handiwork, I say give it up. It's only words. Words and pictures. If they need rebutting, rebut them. Censoring them gives them a power they never had to begin with.

John Francis Lee

Chiang Rai

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Follow the King's wishes and move towards democracy

 Maybe I as a foreigner respect the King more than the Thais themselves. I remember the King, in his birthday speeches in 2003 and 2004, telling Thais that he had problems with the lese majeste law and with the unauthorised killings of thousands of his citizens in the so-called war against drugs, without anybody reacting.

I like to look at the yellow shirts every Monday and the orange bracelets, but what is the use of all that if you do not listen to what your beloved King says?

Everybody knows about the banning of films about King Rama IV and his children's English teacher, but Thailand has a long history of censorship. Lately we saw a Swiss man condemned to 10 years imprisonment for drunkenly defacing portraits of the King, and now the blocking of YouTube.

I'm reminded of Nepal in the 70s, where a Peter Sellers movie could not be shown because of his likeness to the reigning king.

Will Thailand, with all this talk about a new constitution and "democrazy" (as a good Thai friend calls it), ever move out of the shadow of dictatorial countries like Iran and China and allow freedom of speech?

Chakrit

Bangkok