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Published on December 5, 2007

How can that love be measured?

It takes the humanity of a father's love to stand by his children,

Through thick and thin, showering them with unbounded affection,

It takes a father's wisdom and insight to work with his people,

Teaching them the lessons of perseverance and noble intentions,

It takes self-restraint and self-sacrifice to embrace the future of the kingdom,

Working tirelessly and unceasingly for the people,

It takes thrift and probity of habit to urge the hapless farmer into self-sufficient living,

To turn the fields of brown to green, through respect for nature,

Understanding the inter-relatedness of balance in natural and human life,

It takes magnanimity of action in solacing the wounded soldier,

Rewarding him for actions steeped in protection for the fatherland,

It takes a father's strength of character to be king,

It takes a father's imagination, to paint, to play music, to write,

Mirroring beauty in an artistic kingdom,

It takes a father's strength and discipline in physical activity,

To toil at the sail, taming the mighty waves in competition,

It takes will power and endurance for a king to be father,

Raising hopes of the people, against the ravages of time,

To be eighty, to be optimistic, to be both good and great,

Leading the kingdom into annals of glorious history unmatched.

Glen Chatelier

Bangkok

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Bali conference will be test of international will

Re: "Green economics: the test for the world in Bali and beyond", Opinion, December 4.

The Nation should be commended for publishing Ban Ki-moon's cogent article on climate change. The UN secretary-general is right to assert that "The scientists have done their job. Now it's up to the politicians. Bali is a test of their leadership."  It is also a difficult test for multilateral diplomacy. As announced, some 10,000 participants from 187 countries are attending the two-week Climate Change Conference in Bali. Complex and long negotiations will follow.

What should not be ignored in this context is the fact that the Group of 77 (in reality 130 states, including Thailand) called for efforts to address climate change in a manner that ensures sustained economic growth for developing countries while allowing for the universal elimination of poverty, hunger and disease. The Group reiterated its appeal to all states that have not yet done so to ratify and implement the UN Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol, which represent the central legal framework for cooperative actions.

The task is tremendous. Practice shows that on many issues some countries are reticent to accept mandatory commitments. That trend might continue. Yet, climate change knows no borders, and efforts to address it may fail unless a visionary and productive multilateral approach is accepted by all countries. The success of the Bali conference would be a symbol of the undeniable value of multilateralism.

Ioan Voicu

BANGKOK

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Half the NLA members can't be bothered voting

When the National Legislative Assembly voted last month on the Internal Security bill that nearly every thinking Thai opposes, The Nation reported that "101 members voted in favour of the bill, while only 20 voted against and two abstained". What was not reported - about that vote and others - is that about 100 members of the NLA didn't care enough to show up. Do they even have a quorum?

The NLA was constituted by the junta with 242 members. About 100 have apparently gone Awol. There were more than enough members missing to defeat the bill, if they had voted.

Several prominent voices are calling for the NLA to quit now that the election is scheduled. I think what they mean is that the entire NLA should quit, not just half of them. If the country is going to be burdened by such new laws as the Internal Security Act, passed by an unelected legislature, at least all the unelected members should make their positions known and vote. And when the media report on important NLA votes, they should also report how many members were missing.

Farang Rak Thai

Bangkok

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Sudanese regime forced Britain to kow-tow

It has become clear now that the British government has been politically manipulated by Sudan without having been aware of it. The Sudan regime has been unhappy with Britain's constant criticism, and needed to fabricate an event to put an end to it. That event was the arrest and sentencing of the British teacher. The sentence of 15 days was rather mild in Islamic terms, and Sudan knew there would not be much criticism of it.

But it knew Britain would react, and it was prepared from the outset to release the woman. But there were conditions, of course. Britain had to crawl, and Sudan won the moral high ground for having shown such kindness.

The two British peers Baroness Warsi and Lord Ahmed, both Muslims, went on TV emphasising that they are "British Muslim parliamentarians", and Baroness Warsi also referred to herself repeatedly as a "British Muslim". This is the first time in British politics that I have heard parliamentarians using their title with a religious prefix, or indeed individuals prefixing their nationality with their religion.

The Islamic community in Britain has repeatedly asked for a separate Islamic parliament, and also for the introduction of sharia law in the densely populated Islamic communities - which has of course not been granted. But the Sudan affair has given a new boost to those demands, which would not be to Britain's advantage, since it would result in community separation rather than integration.

CC

Bangkok

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Asean should take the UN's side in Burma

Although the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has made two trips to Burma to promote political reconciliation, it seems to be in vain. At a December 3 press conference, Burma's military regime said it would restrict drafting of a new constitution to a government-appointed panel. It's likely a clear snub to a plan by the UN to include the opposition and ethnic parties in the constitution drafting process. 

The UN has been urging Burma to enact democratic reforms and respect the rule of law and human rights. But the UN's efforts to win the release of opposition leader Aung Suu Kyi have been fruitless as the military regime turns a deaf ear to the world body.

"No assistance or advice from other persons is required," Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan said, adding that the constitution drafting commission already included legal experts and law graduates of various ethnic groups. He said if the review was opened up to other parties, "it will be never-ending and the process will get further complicated".

Last month, the junta's prime minister Thein Sein attended Asean's 40th anniversary summit, where he signed the organisation's new charter committing to the "promotion and protection of human rights". At the same summit, the grouping lost when Burma barred Mr Gambari from distributing his briefing to the Asean foreign ministers on a political solution in Burma.

Most people in Burma have expected a clear-cut decision on principle from Asean towards Burma. But, Asean has made a lopsided engagement policy favouring the regime, rather than an unbiased deal to help suffering people. It seems most Asean countries fear that political change in Burma might cause damage to their economic benefits in the military-run country.

Zin Linn

Bangkok

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