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Groups that do so are usually murdered outright in Thailand. Certainly they are jailed and prevented from continuing to disrupt society. But the PAD are given free reign for months to disrupt Bangkok and the whole country.

Can you imagine anyone else being allowed to parade about shooting and killing Thai people while brandishing a picture of HM the King?

Can you imagine all the people who have taken part in the months-long occupation and destruction of Government House doing so at their own expense? Can you imagine the hired thugs shooting and killing the Thai people doing so on their own, with no fear of reprisal?

No one can imagine any of these with respect to any other group in Thailand. Yet there are no stories about who is behind the PAD. No stories about who is funding them. No stories about who is staying the hand of those charged with enforcing the law.

No, the biggest story in this absurd drama goes utterly unreported: who are the godfathers behind this outbreak of lawlessness? Who is funding it? Who is staying the hand of justice that ordinarily would long ago have ended it?

JOHN FRANCIS LEE

CHIANG RAI

This prime minister must step down now

The government just cannot go on and pretend that all is fine and dandy. It is quite apparent to the international community, proven by the marathon street protests, that the so-called democratically elected government is just a proxy government of Thaksin. It may also be recognised that PM Somchai, ironically a former justice minister, has been helping his fugitive brother-in-law to evade the law by taking no action to revoke his diplomatic passport. He chose his path of bloodshed on October 7, and now is working on charter amendments that will make Thaksin free from his crimes and other pending court cases.

A question of ethics and morals hangs over this prime minister and his agenda. Somchai has not yet stepped down, even though all investigative committees have found him responsible for the bloodshed, and his scandalous behaviour captured on video clips has surfaced.

Are there any MPs in the PPP who have the guts to separate themselves, to stand up to fight for the country? Or will they keep supporting Thaksin all the way? The Thaksin they support seems reduced to an emotionally unstable man seeking revenge on the UK for revoking his visa - just because he is a convicted fugitive. Somchai, with his shrugs and ailing ability as a leader who has failed the people, and who is in a direct conflict-of-interest situation, must step down now.

FAITH IN THAIS

BANGKOK

Democracy doesn't work; we should go our own way

I am a law-abiding citizen, and I exercise the right to vote. But my vote is ignored because it is for the PPP. Worse, I am accused of being stupid, uneducated and of selling my vote.

Let's face it, we have adopted a "democratic" system merely because we want to imitate foreigners. What's good for foreigners isn't necessarily good for us. We have had 18 coups since 1932, when we switched from absolute monarchy. In those 76 years of the parliamentary system, only one elected prime minister has survived a full 4-year term. I don't remember exactly how many constitutions we had before the 2007 edition, 18-20 maybe.

Let's admit that democracy doesn't work here and never will. Forget what foreigners may think or say about us. Let's be ourselves and draft a system, whatever it may be, that fits our traditions, attitudes and mentality.

SOMSAK POLA

SAMUT PRAKAN