Time to distinguish reasoned debate from personal abuse

Vint Chavala is wrong to say I denied Yingluck Shinawatra’s guilt in the murder of innocent people. I have no idea whether she was involved in any way. My ire was directed at another letter-writer who stated her guilt as if it were a matter of fact, even though I doubt he had any evidence to support such a serious accusation.

Mr Chavala steps back from this original accusation by stating that national leaders must accept responsibility for deaths resulting from violence ordered or instigated by people close to them. Well, maybe, depending upon the exact circumstances, but that would be a matter for the courts to decide after weighing the evidence. Proclaiming liability, or guilt or innocence, is not the prerogative of writers of letters to the newspapers.

Mr Chavala also accuses me of bias. Guilty as charged, but only because of the personal abuse, as opposed to reasoned political criticism, which Ms Yingluck and her family have had to endure since she came into office. Some of it has been extremely unpleasant, mainly emanating from men whose attitudes to women seem redolent of the Stone Age rather than the 21st century, and also prompted by, yes, bias.

Robin Grant