The release of Asia Bibi from prison in Pakistan, and the extreme danger to her life, her family, and others involved in her case, is being followed in the press worldwide, but coverage of the ongoing drama is lacking in Thailand.
Yet, the issues at stake have great relevance in Asean and the Asian region, where religious intolerance remains a lurking threat and where the execution of women continues.
The complete absence of interest from Asean and its atrophied human rights organs in the case of Ms Bibi is symptomatic. Human rights are the affairs of others in the West who sometimes intrude on our supposed lack of compliance. It is essential that Ms Bibi and her family find asylum outside Pakistan. The assumption is that it is the duty of the rich world to provide. But Ms Bibi and her husband are middle-aged illiterate subsistence farmers. Are they to survive by searching the garbage cans of the wealthy in the US, as other uneducated people of colour?
Consider Thailand, in underdeveloped Isan, or in areas of the South; there exist communities which would not be very different from their home village in Pakistan. Climate and living environment would be familiar to them, unlike that of an urban slum in the West.
True, adapting to language and local way of life remains a problem, but simple people can adapt faster to such a challenge with greater ease than the already "educated". I am also sure that our local Muslims will not take up the frantic hatred of the Pakistani mullahs who are currently searching from house to house with photographs of the fugitives to wreak vengeance.
Thailand can act discreetly, without boasting or making a showcase of action to save an innocent person, while learning the lesson of acting "towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood" (Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Danthong Breen
Negligent precautions
Loy Krathong is here and we hear and see that as every annual event, local policemen visit retail stores in town to remove unsafe toy fireworks on sale only a day or two before Loy Krathong festival. It seems to me that the action is just a show the police are not negligent regarding public safety. But it is too late and has no effect.
If the authorities are really concerned about safety, they should impose safety standards on the production and import of toy fireworks and also ban the sub-standard ones. Control of toy fireworks must be done before they come to wholesale/retail shops, well ahead of Loy Krathong day.
RH Suga
Creating illusions
Re: "Assange's obsession", (PostBag, Nov 22).
I fully agree that Mr Julian Assange is very controversial. He could have exposed any country other than the US and, by now, would have become rich and famous, living comfortably on a sunny beach of California. Instead, he has spent years in prison-like conditions and is threatened with a long sentence or even execution.
Ironically, I believe, not many people remember what he actually exposed because that was not much reported at the time of disclosure and even less now. Instead, all discussions are focused on the disclosure, not the substance. That is how the illusions are created.
Guena
Turkey hypocrisy
It's disgusting hypocrisy when every Thanksgiving the president of the United States "pardons" one turkey, which means that turkey won't be slaughtered. What is the point? To show that Americans are humane when 44 million other turkeys will have their throats slit and then be dipped into scalding water (sometimes while fully conscious)? Gandhi said you can judge the morality of a country by the way they treat their animals. God help us!
Eric Bahrt
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