• 
• 

Published on September 1, 2007

The protests that started in Rangoon have been spreading to other parts of Burma despite a brutal crackdown by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The junta has arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters including "1988 generation" student leaders and active members from the National League for Democracy (NLD). The military authorities and their militias have been violently cracking down on unarmed civilian protesters, who have been peacefully protesting against their desperate economic situation.

The people of Burma are hoping that the international community, especially regional players Japan and Asean members, will push for changes in Burma. Two other important players are China and Russia. They should think over their vetoes on the Burma issue in sympathy with the poor Burmese people, who have been facing heavy taxes, starvation, disease, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings.

Zin Linn

Bangkok

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

Election observers now commonplace globally

Why have Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and Election Commission secretary-general Sutthipol Taweechaikarn rejected European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's request that Thai authorities permit the European Union to observe Thailand's December parliamentary elections?

Barroso's request is quite ordinary in as much as the presence of international observers to monitor national elections is now quite commonplace. The 55 nations of the Organisation on Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) regularly observe one another's national elections as do the 29 member states of the European Union and the 35 countries that make up the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Indeed the Ukraine has just invited the EU and the OSCE to send more than 600 observers to witness its parliamentary elections on September 30!

One should keep in mind that the aforementioned international organisations send missions that are strictly limited to the observation of elections. These missions do not in anyway manage, direct, or otherwise supervise national elections. That is rightly the exclusive responsibility of the host country. Based on its observations, the observer mission then issues a report regarding the degree to which the observed election was "free and fair" based on internationally recognised standards.

Observer missions must have access to polling sites, the terms of which a memorandum of understanding [MOU] entered into between the observer mission and host country establishes. More than 100 countries have entered into MOUs similar to the one the Thai authorities have been asked to consider.

 So once again one must ask General Surayud and Election Commission secretary-general Sutthipol: What's the problem?

General Surayud reportedly objects to an EU observer mission because it is in derogation of Thailand's sovereignty. He evidently has not been properly advised of the limited role of international observers. Moreover, more than 100 countries have concluded that observer missions do not prejudice their status as sovereign states.

Election Commission secretary-general Sutthipol reportedly objects because he understands that the EU is demanding access to voting booths, and that the EU wants to send between 150 and 200 observers when in his view 10 would be quite sufficient.

In point of fact observer missions never demand access to voting booths because the confidentiality of the vote is essential to free and fair elections.

 Sutthipol also reportedly said that 10 observers would be sufficient to observe Thailand's election. Thailand is similar in size to the Ukraine, which next month will host more than 600 observers as it holds parliamentary elections. It is obvious that 10 international observers would be totally inadequate.

Hopefully with the facts at hand and with a proper understanding of the role of EU observers, General Surayud and secretary-general Sutthipol will upon further reflection reconsider their objection to the presence of a robust EU observer mission. In so doing they will demonstrably reaffirm their commitment to free and fair elections, which after all is said and done are so essential to Thailand's long-term political stability.

Robert Jacobs

Bangkok

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

Thailand needs what help it can get from EU officials

Re: EU plays down call to monitor election, August 31, 2007

I think at least that the Surayud government and the Election Commission should first study thoughtfully and negotiate the memorandum of understanding offered by the European Union over its proposed delegation to help monitor our next general election rather than going over the roof at its initial proposal.

As a fledgling democracy, we could learn much to help speed up our democratic development by letting the EU help monitor our next general election rather than going it alone. With its experience and expertise, the EU can help us from getting stuck in the vicious circle of vote-buying and electoral fraud, which has kept us from going anywhere for the past 75 years.

Remember, moneyed politicians have now overwhelmed our country with an eye for personal profits rather than for the public good. These electoral frauds are trying - and have been successful to a certain extent - to buy their way into political office, and then use public money to buy more popularity to ensure their hold on power, resulting in more and more money being used in each general election - and more and more of our tax money being drained by corruption.

Maybe the EU can help us get out of this quagmire by exposing the true culprits who are trying to buy up our country instead of limiting their expertise only to corporate buyouts.

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

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

Thai Rak Thai using UK as a new strategy base

Samak Sundaravej's recent appointment as leader of the People Power Party has been characterised as a Trojan horse. It is widely assumed that he was approached, appointed and paid by Thaksin to run on his behalf.

Yesterday it was reported that about 70 former members of parliament, who recently joined the People Power Party, are planning a trip to London shortly to visit him.

These members, who have reportedly bought a package tour to England, are said to be seeking funds for the general election.

So, not only will the English people have to put up with 71 recidivists scuttling around the capital next month but may they also be planning to relocate Thai Rak Thai party headquarters to Kensington?

Beware the Thais bearing gifts.

James Groveway

Bangkok

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

Selective amnesia the hallmark of the Bush govt

Albert Gonzales adds to the growing list of departed Bush confidantes with glowing references from his former boss describing him as a "good man".

Gonzales joins Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Lewis Libby and Karl Rove in the cast of characters leaving the stage in dubious circumstances.

Whilst I can't agree on the term "good" I think all these men are remarkable. Remarkable in that all are highly educated, but they all suffer from a severely diminished sense of recall - particularly relating to uncomplicated facts that lay folk seem to have complete recollection of. This condition must be something that afflicts anyone connected with Bush, including George Tenet and Condoleezza Rice.

I believe time will soon tell if Bush and Cheney are tested to see if their brains have also lost this specific function, making it the first time in American history that a US government leaves office without having remembered anything it did.

A Warner

Bangkok

Send us your views in an instant

E-mail your opinion, with 'Letters to

the Editor' in the subject box, to:

letters@nationgroup.com