Referendums not for politicians' paranoid whims

Prime Minister Samak should not be allowed to use a referendum as his personal escape valve. Before long Samak may hold a referendum on whether his cooking show on television should continue.

It is possible that when people around the world look up "Banana Republic" they will see a map of Thailand.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

Every country has its own form of a patronage system

Re: "Jakrapob and Co threaten centuries of tradition" and "All the news that could have been used in August", Letters, May 23.

From my memory, Jakrapob Penkair's speech at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Thailand was reported in August of last year and then noted by me as somewhat daring and bookish. As the old saying goes, once you utter your words, they stay with you for life.

In all systems of government including a democratic one, there will always be a natural system of patronage with rulers supporting their citizens and vice-versa. Currently, the potential rulers of the United States are wooing the electorate while their businessmen and those super-delegates are picking the right horse to back. The British have their old-boy system. Each country has its own tradition. Sir Winston Churchill viewed that "a love of tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril".

So, in my humble opinion, patronage is necessary in any democratic country. It is the degree that we need to be concerned with. The two are intertwined and inseparable. Jakrapob Penkair's criticisms of the patronage system being ingrained in our democracy instead of a pure meritocracy were made when he was fighting to win political points and now they have come to haunt him when he is in power. I am sure by now he should understand the patronage system far better. When he becomes a liability, his mentor could drop him like a brick.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

Disaster response credible in China, repellent in Burma

I would like to add my voice to the chorus expressing their praise and admiration for the speedy and heroic reaction of the Chinese leadership, army and general public in assisting those affected by the recent massive earthquake in China.

The performance of the Chinese government stands in stark contrast to the stunning indifference of the Burmese junta, who, in their paranoia and maniacal obsession with retaining power and wealth, have let their own people suffer and die in great numbers.

In my eyes there is an added irony in this juxtaposition, that is, that the professed irreligious regime in China has been overwhelmingly more compassionate towards its citizens than the nominally Buddhist regime in Burma. To profess belief in a religion and yet not practice the compassion that it emphasises is the height of hypocrisy.

The fact that Asean took 17 days to hold a conference on relief measures for the suffering people of the Irrawaddy delta demonstrates just how feckless and meaningless it is as an organisation.

Furthermore, I can not for a moment understand how the UN, and its larger member states such as the US and France, which have ships carrying badly needed supplies nearby, have not unilaterally airdropped supplies to dying people.

To hide behind the charade of diplomatic protocol belies these countries' willingness to launch air strikes in other countries when they so choose.

That the suffering people of Burma have been terribly ill-served by their own leadership sadly does not surprise me, given the history of this sick regime. That they have been equally ill-served by much of the international community is a travesty.

David Spillane

Chiang Mai

CORRECTION:

Yesterday's opinion article, "Junta's credibility gap keeps aid from cyclone victims", read, "Burma agreed last week to accept a team of 30 doctors from Asean countries". This should have read, "Burma agreed last week to accept a team of 30 doctors from each country in Asean".

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