Reading the editorial, (BP, Sept 10), on the Rohingya plight is more enlightening than Aung Maung's defence of Aung San Suu Kyi, (PostBag, Sept 10).
The reality test is to ask why more than 150,000 Rohingya refugees would risk their lives to leave the land they had lived in for generations for the poorest part of Bangladesh. This is not an exodus for future prosperity like emigrating to Europe and America. The cause of the exodus is their need to survive. The historical exclusion of the Rohingya minority from the mainstream of Burmese society is the reason behind this undeniable horror.
As an admirer of Ms Suu Kyi for her personal sacrifice in bringing democracy to Myanmar (albeit half-baked), I must say her first statement on the people in Rakhine was somewhat mild and evasive. Citing the appointment of Kofi Annan as a good deed is not disputable. But Mr Annan on Aug 24 called on Myanmar to scrap restrictions on movement and citizenship of the persecuted Rohingya minority to avoid fueling "extremism" and help bring peace to Rakhine state.
I venture to guess Myanmar's rejection of the recommendations is due to the long-held prejudice against the Rohingya. Sadly, the world is now pondering whether there should be a return of economic and financial sanctions against Myanmar.
Since the word "Buddhism" is taken as synonymous to peaceful existence, it is painful for me as a Buddhist to read the words "Buddhist extremists" and the horrors and suppression consistently and time immemorially invoked against our fellow human beings. Myanmar must be the first Buddhist-majority country to gain this undesirable label.
Songdej Praditsmanont
Progress at a price
Re: "Skytrain too dear for many", (PostBag, Sept 10)
Sirinya Wattanasukchai's apology for the error in her fare calculation is somewhat hollow. She now says her point was that many city commuters cannot afford the skytrain. This may be the case if one argues that many people cannot afford to fly, but like other commuters there are alternatives such as public buses and railways.
I get a little annoyed when people say certain forms of transport are too dear, when they forget that private investors have put up the money and expect a reasonable return. If they didn't, we would likely not have the skytrain nor a network of expressways, the latter also being unaffordable for those on minimum wage who cannot afford to buy a car, so please stop complaining!
Martin R
No longer a Lady
Re: "Suu Kyi defends her nation", (PostBag, Sept 10). Aung Maung says Aung San Suu Kyi "has a nation to defend". Could he please tell us what part of the murder of unarmed women and children and the burning and sacking of Rohingya villages by the Tatmadaw has to do with the defence of Myanmar?
Or does Aung Maung prescribe to the "fake news" theory, that his beloved Ms Suu Kyi was so quick to borrow from Donald Trump?
Aung Maung is an apologist for an increasingly brutal regime with a long history of violence against many ethnic minorities in his country, not just the Rohingya. And in the meantime, "The Woman" (I will no longer call her "The Lady") endorses the atrocities.
David Brown
United in religion
Re: "Regime angers critics over NOB transfer," (BP, Sept 8).
How felicitous that the uniquely sensitive religion known as Thai Buddhism has such devoted men in uniform to fight over it, the rich spoils going to the victor.
And what crumbs the boys in military and police uniforms leave are there for the ageing men in orange uniforms straight out of the feudal era of Thai history to squabble over.
The real miracle is that many Thais profess to follow by default this officially fostered version of Buddhism rather than one that follows the teachings of the Buddha. With so many military and police in charge of its affairs, would the religion whose job it is boost Thai nationalism and the feudal status quo need any other support?
Felix Qui
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