OPINION

Human cost of war

Re: "Thai airstrikes hit two Cambodian targets," (BP, July 24).

Regular readers of PostBag recognise my name as Jason A Jellison. My middle name is Alan, and my parents picked it for a reason. During the Vietnam War, my dad and his brother, Allen Jellison, were both drafted and served in the conflict. My dad came home alive. His brother came home in a coffin dressed with a large American flag.

I simply would like to remind people of the cost of war; any war, anywhere. The cost ultimately is human life, as well as horrific injuries. I have no position on this conflict, but as memories of standing over Allen Jellison's grave flood through my mind, I sincerely hope peace will prevail.

Path to reform

Re: "Army culture of impunity" (Editorial, July 23) and "Monastic discipline in the digital age" (Opinion, July 23).

Whatever pious claims they make to value justice under democracy for the Thai people, the Royal Thai Army's known acts contradict that. To believe the army's claims to the contrary is as rational as believing that Thai Buddhism could have better ethics than the politicians and political players who have traditionally run that religion: that is not recipe for purity, although a sufficiency of suppression whether by law or social sanction can foster a hollow "image or purity" as cited by the very pragmatic Assoc Prof Dr Watcharin Ariyaprakai in his thoughtful opinion piece.

Liberating it from political control is the only feasible path to Thai Buddhism becoming a true expression of the Buddha's wise insights for those Thais who genuinely value those excellent teachings. This includes the Buddha's Kalama Sutta, which is contradicted by imprisoning people for healthy, peaceful, free speech in order to suppress right understanding on any topic.

Missing the mark

Re: "Nations mark the anniversary of invasion", (World, July 22).

The Reuters article presents a predominantly one-sided account of the Cyprus issue, regrettably missing the complete historical and legal context.

First, the civilian massacres of 1963, 1964, 1967 and 1974 targeting Turkish Cypriots are pivotal to understanding Türkiye's 1974 operation aimed at restoring peace on the Island. It was carried out under Türkiye's rights and responsibilities as a guarantor power, in response to a coup d'état carried out by the Greek junta, aiming at annexing the island to Greece. Since then, Turkish forces have been the only factor preventing the repetition of earlier atrocities and tragedies perpetrated against the Turkish Cypriots (Please also see: History of The Cyprus Issue, The Beginning of The UN Negotiations/ T.R. Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The Turkish Cypriots are the co-owners of the island and an equal sovereign people. The root cause of the Cyprus issue is the Greek Cypriots' consistent refusal to treat the Turkish Cypriots on the basis of political equality.

Moreover, it is important to recall that it was the Turkish Cypriot side that voted overwhelmingly in favour of the 2004 UN proposal for reunification, also known as the "Annan Plan", while the Greek Cypriots rejected it.

Given that every single negotiation process has failed due to the Greek Cypriots' intransigence, the Turkish Cypriots regard a two-state solution as the only viable settlement model. The long history of the Cyprus negotiations validates their position.

The international community should acknowledge the existence and the will of the Turkish Cypriot people, reflect on their views without prejudice and lift the unjust isolation and embargoes imposed upon them.