A taste of duty
Re: "Conscription blues", (BP, May 7).
At school in England during my teens, I participated in the CCF (combined cadet force), also known as the ACF. It was in lieu of Thursday sports.
I eschewed continuing into the Territorial Army (TA) for various reasons. However, many do continue into the variants afforded to them through this system. I firmly believe that this experience should be afforded (non-mandatory) to all school children between 13-18 as it invariably means that those who choose it are enthusiastic about the future.
CNX
PM's metaphor
Re: "Don't mess with lese majeste law: Prayut", (BP, May 8).
PM Prayut admonishes not to mess with the lese majeste law. He says, "If you rebuild a house, you still need the old foundations". I would say he is right if you want to replace an old hut with another one. But if you want to build a modern building, you have to make new foundations too.
Karl Reichstetter
Monarchies today
Re: "Don't mess with lese majeste law: Prayut", (BP, May 8).
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is quoted as warning other parties "not to meddle with it too much", referring to Thailand's too well-known lèse majesté law, popularly known as Section 112 of the criminal code.
The only justification the PM (caretaker) gives is that "the law is the law". This is, of course, perfectly true: the law is indeed the law.
Yet, it contradicts basic democratic principles.
Overlooking the obvious truth that committing or being complicit in a coup against the nation shows nothing but contempt for the law by that act of overthrowing the supreme law of the land.
That sort of reforming amendment (no major party is suggesting abolition) would not "destroy the foundation" of the nation, as the caretaker PM suggests.
On the contrary, it would strengthen the foundation, making it more resilient and able to support a 21st-century nation that continues to appropriately respect its traditional institutions.
The recent example of the coronation of my own nation's new king, Charles III, amply attests to the reality that a central symbolic role for traditional monarchies can fit perfectly comfortably in a liberal democracy whose laws respect "the fundamental tenets of democracy and voters' will", including the rights of each and every citizen to peacefully speak their mind.
Felix Qui
For simplicity's sake
Re: "Language travails", (PostBag, April 30) & "Cleaning it up", (PostBag, May 3).
Soon after securing the reigns of power in China, Mao Tse Tung sought to romanise the Chinese alphabet in an effort to make Chinese easier to learn, both for its citizens and for others around the world. Alas, the chairman's efforts were all in vain; nonetheless, he was able to simplify the Chinese writing system.
The Communist Party of Laos was successful in simplifying the Laotian alphabet in 1975, and long before this, the Vietnamese decided to do away with their complicated writing system and romanised all words.
So if China, Laos and Vietnam have successfully simplified their language systems, then so too can the Thais!
It's as simple as that.
Languages are not fixed systems but rather are living entities which change with the times in order to remain relevant. Old timers who say otherwise are not helping move things along here.
Paul
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