In his Feb 12 column, Khun Veera Prateepchaikul said: "Poaching probe shows signs of slippage. Forty-eight days! Why so long for a case which is not complicated at all?"
This reminds me of the Old Testament commandment to the Hebrews, condemning them to wander for 40 years till generations died off and were replaced with new generations.
We have waited 48 days. We will wait 48 months, perhaps 48 years. In reality, there is no will to prosecute this case because someone, unlike those cruelly slaughtered animals who did not know "people in the right places" someone big is on the take. It is a legitimate assumption until proven otherwise.
Sereleh
A love of life
Re: "Parting words to the condemned", (BP, Feb 4).
Thank you for the article about the monk who spends time with prisoners condemned to death. What a truly inspiring monk Phra Kru Srinonthawat is. It was heartwarming to read about him. He has such a wonderful loving attitude. "They're just people like us, but who chose the wrong path, they're not evil." He is full of love for life and living.
If only we all had that attitude to fellow human beings, in fact all living things. What an amazing world we would be living in -- one with peace and love to all.
Motoguzzi Bob
Animals less evil
Somsak Pola in his Feb 13 letter wants to know why the wildlife animals who were recently killed were given more sympathy than the red shirts who died during their 2010 revolt.
Maybe the difference is that the animals didn't attempt to burn down the city of Bangkok or overrun a hospital terrorising the innocent people there.
It is the height of human arrogance to believe that only human life matters when animals can suffer just as much and are far less evil.
Eric Bahrt
German semantics
I don't want to miss the opportunity to tell you how much I appreciated Alan Dawson's bringing up of the German expression "Backpfeifengesicht" in his Big Issue column in the Sunday, Feb 11 edition.
This word is almost as extinct in colloquial German today as the black panther and the barking deer in the wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand.
Rolf Homann
Tears over Vietnam
Re: "Special Forces hero", (PostBag, Feb 10).
To tell you the truth, I read this letter from Maj Mark Smith with tears coming to my eyes. I had the privilege of meeting Maj Smith back in 1989 at the New Cowboy bar on Sukhumvit Soi 22 when another Vietnam vet, Grant Francisco owned the bar. I learned a lot from Maj Smith, and sorry to say have lost contact with him.
I was not in Vietnam, but was involved with American wounded from Korea after the Korean War as a medic at the 6110th USAF Hospital in Nagoya, Japan.
Charlie Brown
Pattaya
Coup country
In his/her letter of Feb 14, "Election buffoonery," JC volunteers the information that there have been 19 coups since 1932 (plus of course the attending rewritten constitutions) but then ignores the possibility that this is why Thai politics is stuck where it is. The military has been in power for longer than elected politicians so why is it still so bad?
Outside of the single party authoritarian ex-communist countries a neutral army and police are considering vital to the safety and security of a nation. In Thailand, the army is now thoroughly and unrepentantly involved in politics and openly campaigning. Likewise, the police have provided Thaksin, Chalerm and others as players in a violent and destructive political game. Now, if these influences could be removed perhaps the "buffoon" citizenry could go about creating a nation that suits their needs without the introduction of extreme violence.
Lungstib
Not-so-hasty post
On Feb 10, I received five pieces of mail from Thai Post.
Four letters were from my Hong Kong bank (not exactly the dark side of the moon), that were all dated Dec 30, 2017. The other was a monthly bill from the local TOT office, with a due payment date of Jan 22!
The term post haste hardly need be said here!
Bernie Hodges
Songkhla
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