Samak should follow Fukuda's lead and quit

If they did this at that time, we could have saved time and money.

In Japan, Fukuda quit just because he was not confident enough to call a new election under his weak leadership.

And the LDP had to buy time to replace him with a more popular personality. Over here, Samak keep on trying to stay in his chair no matter how low his popularity sinks.

Politicians or political parties who are taking power only care about how to keep their position as long as possible.

These incidents look so different but the background of these cases in Japan and Thailand is the same.

KT

Bangkok

Disagree with PPP, but respect democracy

I'm not a fan of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, but I do respect the democratic system. This government was legally elected and formed, regardless what the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) says.

In other countries it would be unimaginable for demonstrators to seize Government House, a TV station and airports. Where do they get their legal authority to do this?

Abhisit Vejjajiva disappointed me very much yesterday when he said, "Nobody enjoys elections... I believe [new elections] would hurt me more, because you [Samak] will come back as prime minister". But that's democracy. That's how the government should be formed.

Some of my friends who support PAD say, "The poor didn't know what they were doing and that's why we have to save the country". I find that very insulting. Isn't the voice of the poor worth as much as that of the rich? You don't like the outcome of the election? Too bad. That's what we call democracy. If the former or present premier is accused of being corrupt, they should be punished by the courts. If the government is incompetent, vote them out. The way the PAD is doing things now must not be tolerated!

Thitikul Opdal

Bangkok

Referendum unlikely to move country forward

Rural leaders all over Thailand have already announced on their village public-address systems the answer to the proposed referendum, over and over again in the case of my own village just north of Chiang Mai. The government is "good", the People's Alliance for Democracy is "bad", the whole problem has been created by a small group of "troublemakers" in Bangkok, and "if you know what's good for you you'll just stay at home".

The only alternative to that message comes from local leaders who have already organised pro-government mobs, or put them on standby - the promised reward being the sweet restoration of Thaksin Shinawatra so the people can be cared for once again.

 Indeed, what conceivable referendum question could yield any answer helpful to solving Thailand's current problem when the problem is specifically the ignorance of the electorate and the venal stranglehold of its leaders?

 Have no truck with a referendum - it's just for bland American consumption, and to gain time for the budget, of course. That's all.

We just have to take a risk on the PAD for the moment - there's no alternative to mucking out a stable!

Lung Kip

Chiang Mai

The cycle of greed continues in Thai politics

Re: "Welcome to unsmiling, dysfunctional Thailand", Letters, September 4.

I agree with Robert Lacey that the root cause of Thailand's dysfunctional democracy is "greed on a massive scale", but his reference to the Buddha is erroneous and can be misleading. Having attained nirvana, the Buddha had reached the ultimate stage of happiness, beyond return or reincarnation. What is left is only the dhamma, his teachings. So, even without the return of the Buddha, dukkha (suffering) remains. Greed, hatred and delusion, on the other hand, are among the 10 mental defilements. The present crisis in Thailand is only another repetitive reflection of the defilement and, consequently, dukkha. Unfortunately, there will be no end of dukkha as long as there are beings, only recurrence.

Vasit Dejkunjorn

Pathum Thani