Asean advance
Re: "Timor-Leste finally joins the Asean fold", (Opinion, Oct 14).
Kavi Chongkittavorn's article brings good news not only to Timor-Leste and Asean countries, but also to global multilateralism in crisis. The accession of Timor-Leste as Asean's 11th member symbolises renewed confidence in enlarging regional cooperation and inclusive diplomacy.
It also highlights the role of education in Thailand, as many Timorese diplomats who have been trained at Assumption University in Bangkok will have now the chance to serve their homeland in multilateral diplomacy.
Ioan Voicu
Verbal ping-pong
I will not reference any particular letters, nor will I name the contributors who have turned PostBag into their own personal game of verbal ping pong with their tit-for-tats on climate change and global warming, drug use and abuse, and the efficacy of vaccines in fighting disease.
These are undoubtedly important issues, but these battles of words involving three or four serial letter writers does little to enlighten anyone. I was annoyed once by Eric Bahrt's repetitive letters, but he has been dethroned by some of what we see now. May I add my voice calling on the editor of PostBag to apply more discipline. (Now I will sit back and wait to be called an advocate of censorship.)
David Brown
Cartoon therapy
Your regular syndicate cartoonist Matt Davies needs therapy. Never have I witnessed such one-sided derangement. Even the totality of your publication, unapologetically way left-leaning, appears balanced compared with Davies' output.
I have zero confidence you will publish this, but here's hoping.
Gary Fox
Clear as day
Re: "Puppetry ran amok", (PostBag, Oct 12).
I would have to agree with Eric Bahrt that it is ridiculous, given all the images of starving and suffering Palestinians shown on television, to ask whether any people in Gaza have actually starved since the Israelis declared war on the Palestinians about two years ago!
I honestly don't see how can people question what is so patently obvious to any neutral observer.
Paul
Wimping out
Re: "Army defends psych-ops", (BP, Oct 13).
Given the other awful conflicts in the world today, the Cambodian response to Thailand's bloodless psych-ops (which has been a tactic for hundreds of years) is very wimpy.
Get some ear plugs or turn up the boom box if you have one. Or respond in kind.The UN has much more important things to deal with.
Lionel Biers
