Haunted logic
Re: "PM defends border tactics", (BP, Oct 14) & "Border tactics need review", (Editorial, Oct 14).
There is something deeply hypocritical about the Cambodian government lodging a complaint with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights about an activist playing ghostly sounds near the Thai-Cambodian border.
Landmines laid by Cambodia during the current border dispute have wounded several soldiers and have the potential to kill or maim more, including civilians, until they are all located and removed.
Despite the deeply held belief by many Cambodians (and Thais) in ghosts and witches, I have yet to read any report of deaths or maiming due to "spooky" noises.
David Brown
Border semantics
Re: "PM defends border tactics", (BP, Oct 14).
I would like to see both the Post and the Thai government be more precise when using the terms "Thai soil" or "Thai sovereignty". Over and over again, we hear things like "We won't give up an inch of Thai soil/sovereignty!"
There could be two meanings for this: (1) we won't give up an inch of areas in Thailand which are not the subject of dispute, or (2) we won't give up an inch of areas which are disputed between Thailand and Cambodia.
If the meaning is #1, then it's a nonsensical non-issue. No one is asking Thailand to give up areas that are not in dispute. If the meaning is #2, as I fear it is, it shows Thailand as unwilling to negotiate and unwilling to acknowledge that there may be legitimacy to Cambodia's claims. I suspect the reality is that every time the term "Thai soil" is used in the Post, it means "the disputed area that is claimed by Thailand (and also by Cambodia)". I think the Post would do the world a big favour by clarifying this every time the terms are used, so readers can fairly judge the situation.
Randy Hurlburt
War of words
Re: "Whose story holds?", (PostBag, Oct 11).
Keith Barlow asks who is telling the truth, official Israeli sources or numerous so-called human rights organisations. Why is it that following the recent ceasefire agreement, claims of famine in Gaza are suddenly abating? We see many videos of thousands of Gazans, and none of them look particularly hungry. And after two years of "genocide", the population of Gaza has only increased.
Hamas's "genocide", "intentional starvation", and "they kill babies" narratives have been relayed by an overly-biased press for two years. This media manipulation has emboldened Hamas and unnecessarily prolonged the war.
The mainstream media must be investigated by an impartial international tribunal and held accountable.
Frank Scimone
Booze blindspot
Re: "Made of stronger stuff", (PostBag, Oct 12).
When Jason A Jellison writes that "I don't feel you can make direct comparisons between booze and weed because alcohol is not a narcotic", he again demonstrates a failure of critical thinking in an effort to exempt his personally preferred recreational substance from being treated equally by the law to other popularly used drugs of addiction.
Alcohol is addictive, similar to cocaine, heroin, tobacco, yaa baa, and arguably cannabis. No one, including Mr Jellison, can in good faith doubt that the popular recreational drug alcohol causes serious harm to many of its users and to society. To be fair and socially beneficial, the law must have clear guidelines that are applied to the sale and use of all addictive drugs, whether narcotics or alcoholic beverages.
Felix Qui
