• 
• 

Published on December 30, 2007

Jonathan Peter's supporting letter for the Democrat Party and The Nation's editor having published Jonathan's long reasoning were laudable. It is not difficult for me to agree with Jonathan's list of the good points of the party since I have long been a supporter of the Democrats right from the days of Kuang Apaiwongse, who was a great orator.

However, to call me a cynic and ignorant of democracy and the necessity to have an opposition party was somewhat unfair and presumptuous. I like to believe that my love for the party in criticising its conduct is far more constructive than Jonathan's partiality to the party.

I have been consistent in my criticisms of the Democrats starting from Abhisit Vejjajiva's previous boycott of the April 2, 2006 election and the latest make-believe conduct of the party's leaders that there can be a Democrat-led coalition government. On both counts, it showed immaturity given that it is the oldest party in Thailand.

Many believe that the boycott unwittingly paved the way for the military to come back with a coup in September 2006. On the claims of a coalition formation, it was naive to think that the Democrat Party could form a coalition. The Democrat Party is still talking big and saying that if no coalition is formed by Thursday they will form one themselves with their 165 seats in order to get the needed 240. It is painful for me to see how utopian the Democrat leaders can be. My aim was to wake them up from their dreams and return them to the reality of being in the opposition, which they are very good at.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

Thaksin's  eventual return bodes ill for Thailand

At this moment it may be rather sobering to realise that it does not take a genius to figure out what lies in store for the future of the Kingdom after the result of the recent election. Once his People Power Party cronies have secured his immunity, it is obvious that Thaksin will be back, and once he is there will be bitter recriminations and the customary witch-hunts against his opponents and the people who displaced him.

If I were a senior military officer I would be looking for the nearest road, harbour or airport. If I were a non-Thai Rak Thai voter I would be boarding my house windows up, and if I were a businessman I would be thinking of ways of hiding my assets and destroying any incriminating evidence.

The only other options I could see would be for the military to refuse to leave power, for Thaksin to refuse to come back, or for him to be immediately taken into custody and put on trial should he decide to return.

These are not great choices, but its going to boil down to one of them.

A Warner

Bangkok

Burmese junta will be toppled in New Year

In 2007, the Burmese democracy movement was reborn inside Burma. In 2008, the tri-partite coalition of "Our Three Sons" - Kyaung-tha (students), Phaya-tha (monks) and Sitt-tha (soldiers) - will restore freedom and democracy in Burma.

You need an infrastructure to topple the military dictatorship in Burma.

The Buddhist monks have a nationwide infrastructure to organise a nationwide resistance movement.

Infidel Than Shwe's mass murder of Buddhist monks activated a religious "poison pill" that will destroy him.

Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her own Sikh bodyguards when the Indian army attacked and destroyed a Sikh temple. Many colonels and majors in the Burmese army are fed up with infidel Than Shwe. One of them will be the next army commander-in-chief of a free and democratic Burma.

Texas gained its independence because general Santa Ana and the Mexican army killed all the Texans at the Alamo. This angered the Texans who regrouped and a few months later defeated and captured General Santa Ana at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Burmese resistance wishes to thank the Bush Administration and First Lady Laura Bush for organising the world's largest resettlement programme, which has re-settled twenty five thousand Burmese refugees since 2005.

Myint Thein

Senior Adviser to the Burmese Resistance

Dallas, Texas

Pseudonyms do not add credibility to letters

Re: "Two sides to every human-rights struggle", Letters, December 23.

Someone ashamed of using his real name and calling himself Mr Bill worries that as part of its extraordinary rendition programme the United States may be sending prisoners to the horrible prisons in the Middle East for interrogation.

Mr Bill should be aware that letter writers too afraid or too cowardly to use their real names with a letter to a newspaper are now being rounded up and sent to faraway prisons where, with a background of the most saccharine Christmas carols, they will be forced to listen to the recorded wit and wisdom of US President George W Bush and Dick Cheney and Hillary Clinton until they find the nerve to use their real names.

Enough said?

Dean Barrett

Bangkok