Showing 1-10 of 367 results
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Migrant saga shame
News, Editorial, Published on 11/07/2015
» The poorly handled exodus of Turkic Uighur people in the past few days has made Thailand somewhat of a diplomatic punching bag. In one case, the country was even the victim of violence against its diplomatic mission in Istanbul. Without public notice, the government sent 172 Uighurs from a holding camp in Songkhla to Turkey, where they reportedly had families. Then, the second shoe dropped. Authorities sent 109 Uighurs to China against their will, setting off protests that were mostly understandable.
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We need a steady hand at BoT helm
News, Editorial, Published on 12/07/2015
» The announcement naming Veerathai Santiprabhob as the next governor of the Bank of Thailand last week came as no surprise. In addition to his exceptional credentials, the 45-year-old economist with a PhD from Harvard was a clear choice over the other short-listed candidate, Supavud Saicheua, the managing director of Phatra Securities, because he has earned the trust of the current government under the leadership of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
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NACC sparks death debate
News, Editorial, Published on 15/07/2015
» The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has done the country a disservice by secretly changing the law and instituting the death penalty as the maximum punishment for graft. The commission claims it discussed the law at length and agreed the death penalty is appropriate for such a severe offence as corruption. The NACC has acted in a disappointing and a high-handed matter. The legislature and government should act to rescind the NACC's secret decree and start over again. A new corruption law is needed, but it must undergo public debate, including the decision to extend the use of capital punishment.
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Global refugee crisis cries out for action
News, Editorial, Published on 06/09/2015
» Now, it’s personal. Until last week the world’s migrant crisis was abstract, a procession of humanity as statistics. The 59.5 million people forcibly displaced by the end of last year, two-thirds of them uprooted from home within their own country. The 1.9 million Syrians living in Turkey, mainly in camps, having fled a country torn between the atrocities of Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State. The 140,000 men, women and children who have entered Hungary from the border with Serbia this year alone, hoping for asylum in richer western European countries. The hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have entrusted their lives to traffickers, their very exodus abetted by the regime they seek to escape. The Uighur who have turned to criminal networks to escape persecution in China. The Iraqis, Afghans and Sudanese who made perilous journeys to Australian waters only to have the navy pay their traffickers to turn away.
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Blast probe needs a hand
News, Editorial, Published on 15/09/2015
» It is fair to say that authorities floundered for two weeks after the Aug 17 Erawan shrine bombing. Most of the leaders and officials in charge were clearly caught flat-footed. The military regime's deputy spokesman declared within hours of the blast, without any evidence, that it was clearly an evil act by the political forces ousted by last year's military coup. Credit police and supporting security forces, then, for so quickly turning investigative chaos into crackerjack detective work. Now comes the really hard part.
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Education in dismal state
News, Editorial, Published on 17/09/2015
» In July this year, 16 Thai primary students brought fame to the country when they won 18 prizes and 33 medals, including four gold medals in the individual category and three prizes in the team category, from the Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest 2015 in Hong Kong. China won the highest overall score.
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Mr Xi goes to Washington
News, Editorial, Published on 22/09/2015
» Chinese President Xi Jinping is to arrive in the United States today on a visit that will last a week. The lengthy stay will include time at the United Nations, where the General Assembly is starting its 70th annual session. Still, such a long visit should provide time to talk over relations with President Barack Obama and other top officials. US-China ties are among the most-watched and most important diplomatic relations in the world, and they have important implications in our region.
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Japan policy riles critics
News, Editorial, Published on 23/09/2015
» The decision by the Japanese government to give itself new defence privileges has advantages but they are outweighed by the negative. On one hand, the new security package will allow Japan to better assume a balanced role in the world. For 70 years since World War Two ended, the country has been unable to take part in conflicts. Yet Japan remains a very special case, particularly in Asia. Overall, Tokyo's long-time refusal to address its war-time actions honestly will now turn the new defence policies against the country.
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Firewall is a huge mistake
News, Editorial, Published on 28/09/2015
» The country learned last week the government is building a "great firewall of Thailand" to try to better control what citizens see on the internet. It is unfortunate that building this firewall is essentially a secret project. As designed, the project appears as if it will do much harm but little to achieve the security desired. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT Ministry) and the Prime Minister's Office should solicit the public's help before implementing it. Otherwise, there is real risk it will turn into a cyberspace disaster.
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Policing the UN's men
News, Editorial, Published on 29/09/2015
» The annual United Nations General Assembly opening is predictable and mostly unremarkable. For the public it is a series of speeches by leaders or appointees from the member nations.
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