OPINION

Lead by example!

Re: "Alarm sounds over haze", (BP, Jan 25).

There are proven methods to reduce air pollution, as applied in other countries.

For example: banning burning, passing legislation to remove the most polluting vehicles from the roads and controlling industrial pollution.

Thailand choses to do none of these, so the pollution is just as bad as in previous years. As for cooperation with other countries, well how about first leading by example?

Re: "Toxic shroud", (Front page picture, Jan 25).

John Keats' "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" optimistically springs to mind, until the coughing and spluttering starts.

Normally, the sky is bright blue (obviously) and the end of the soi is clearly visible. Now, the view gets only gets worse the further one travels from our home in Bang Khen district.

Re: "Why racial labels?" (Postbag, Jan 25), Re: "Indian man 'kills delivery man'", (BP, Jan 23).

I support Vichai's thoughtful letter, "Why racial labels?" (Postbag, Jan 25), which raises an important concern about the Bangkok Post's headline, "Indian man kills delivery man."

As Vichai rightly pointed out, such a headline not only misrepresents the individual's identity but also perpetuates a divisive and unnecessary focus on race.

It is evident from the article that the accused is a Thai national of Indian heritage. By singling out his ethnicity, the Post risks alienating its diverse readership and undermining the inclusive values that Thailand has historically upheld as a multicultural society.

Vichai's reference to the Post's own editorial, "Ending the Thai citizenship limbo" (Nov 10, 2024), highlights the contradiction between promoting inclusivity in one instance and publishing racialised headlines in another.

Would we ever see headlines identifying individuals with Chinese heritage in this way? Or are such labels selectively applied? As a respected publication, the Post has a responsibility to ensure its reporting is free from racial bias.

Headlines should focus on the actions of individuals, not their ancestry, unless directly relevant to the story. By doing so, the Post can better reflect the values of fairness and equality that it champions.

Let us move beyond these outdated racial labels and work toward building a society that celebrates diversity without discrimination.

I suggest PostBag may only serve a few people, but I am one, and I feel I learn from it. For example, the letters on Jan 25 stirred me to write in with my own thoughts.

"A tragic lesson" showed me that there is racism I have ignored. In "state-run Buddhism", Felix Qui helped us understand the historic role of religion in statehood, a complex and sensitive issue.

"Fair scrutiny needed" by VB provided a twisted defence of President Trump's release of over 100 prisoners convicted of assaults against law enforcement in an attempt to prevent the transition of power after an election.

When VB calls for "fairness" by comparing this to Mr Biden's pardons of family and administration officials who were threatened by our new president, it is not the same.

James Fairhead, meanwhile, wrote about flawed English tests being used. This may be a big problem, and there is a lot more to say about English taught in Thailand.

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