Re: "Corruption rises in Thailand, global watchdog says", (BP, Jan 29).
It cannot be a surprise to see countries "growing more corrupt as they become more autocratic" as Transparency International's report "Corruption Perceptions Index for 2018" notes of several nations, including the United States under Donald Trump, under whom democratic norms are eroding.
That rising autocracy correlates with rising corruption is not only the logical correlation, it is a long established historical rule. It is a major reason why dictators became dictators. The same rule also does much to explain why Thailand has remained mired in corruption for decades: all those coups happened for reasons. And contrary to the loudly touted promises, the reality of Thai history shows that those reasons have never included ending corruption.
For their own good reasons, dictators criminalise free speech.
Felix Qui
Fire and pain
The annual burning season is well under way, and with it the usual rash of "why can't something be done about it?" letters and articles complaining about the pollutants and the black ash that falls from the sky covering people and property.
Every year the problem is the same, as is the effort to control it -- namely, zero. The slash-and-burn hill farmers, which now includes those in Cambodia and Vietnam, are blamed once again, while the main culprits, the agro-giants and the unserviced diesel vehicle owners, may possibly get a passing slap on the wrist. But little of real practical value is being done, either in Bangkok or up-country, leaving aside for a moment the agro-giants.
They could do with a Section 44 rein in, and the polluting vehicles, the reasons for much of the January-February air pollution, are easy to understand: too much rice straw, sugar cane, corn stalks after the harvest.
What to do with it all? There is too much to plough back in without mulching it -- and there are few if any mulching machines. Baling the straw is OK if you need the straw and can find a local baler. But burning is easy, costs nothing and the average farmer is unlikely to lose much sleep over the resulting air pollution. His choice is an easy one to make.
Those who live in Bangkok are, for once, seriously affected by the problem so are making a lot of noise about it. The time-honoured solution of ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away until this time next year won't work any better than spraying water in the streets of Bangkok.
One can't help thinking that a fraction of the money spent on one Chinese submarine could provide sufficient mulchers and balers to go a long way towards seriously reducing the smog in the kingdom -- and not just in Bangkok. But then I always was an up-country dreamer!
Colonel Johnny Thoyts
Korat
Fuming about diesel
It is amazing that even though diesel vehicles must clearly be taken off the roads now, not decades later, the decision makers allow the deadly pollution caused by diesel to continue, even to get worse. The price of diesel should not be subsidised. If it was more expensive, it would not take long to have diesel-free traffic.
Eva Redelinghuys
Big fail for Asean
The mark of a true leader is the capacity to take unpopular but necessary action. On this score, Asean fails 100% in tackling the Rakhine state/Rohingya conflict.
Gerry Popplestone
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