Re: "Melayu Day puts Yala on the map", (BP, Feb 14).
I was surprised to read that Nakhon Yala mayor Pongsak Yingchoncharoen mentioned that Melayu is not a race but only a culture and people's way of life. I wonder if he knows what he was talking about.
I believe that this event is a very good one for the purpose of exposing the cultures and traditions of the Melayu (Malay) people who live in the South of our country.
It is to be remembered that the Thai government has always encouraged the development and preservation of the cultures of the various races that comprise the Thai Kingdom. We in the South always discuss this and do not want to see the traditions, cultures and language of the Malay people disappear or be forgotten in this country.
The Malay language spoken in this part of the world, including Pattani and the rest of the South, and Kelantan state of Malaysia, is a variant of Malay but has richer words and expressions than the Malay spoken in other parts of Southeast Asia. Malay language is spoken in parts of Cambodia, southern Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia -- these areas home to more than 200 million people. We want to see more events like this in the future with the visions of preserving their heritage.
We all know that cultures are changing fast in this modern computer age but it is good to stop them vanishing into history.
Mahamas Kromas
Failing to see love
Re: "Atheist high ground", (PostBag, Feb 26).
Apparently Lungstib is unaware that Buddhists are atheists. He also claims (rather incongruously) as an atheist to have superior spiritual development.
For more than 3,000 years the world's most profound philosophers and spiritual practitioners have sought wisdom and the highest expressions of human understanding. This is demonstrated in life by the great realisers such as Gautama Buddha, Padmasambhava, Shirdi Sai Baba, Upasani Baba, Anandamayi Ma, St Seraphim of Sarov, Ramana Maharshi, Luangta Maha Bua, Achaan Mun, Hui Neng and a great many others.
Sadly Lungstib, you not only cannot hold up a candle to these spiritual heroes, you will not. The point is not that some young Buddhists have run amok. They have chosen a source of wisdom to help them to refrain from doing so.
Everyone fails to love, that is the first thing to understand.
Michael Setter
Rampant hypocrisy
I find Eric Bahrt confused in his Feb 25 letter "Love it or leave" as to communicating and discourse. Complaining is a negative construct that is not seeking dialogue.
I also don't agree with Mr Bahrt regarding his conclusion on hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is practised by some (not all) of all political, social, religious persuasions.
Mr Bahrt puts himself in the position of superiority (which he is not) to those who do not agree with him or do not do as he does or believes. Criticism is a negative construct by one who places himself as superior. Criticism on its face does not seek dialogue between people of different views.
Honest opinion does seek dialogue between people of different opinions. Opinions given, along with facts and open dialogue between people of different opinions are important as they seek answers and solutions for positive outcomes.
Tom Herndon
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