THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Too many of us are presuming guilt

Too many of us are presuming guilt

Re: "NRC members divided on charter provisions" and "Hard choices to be made about 'sin tax'", Headline News, August 10.

These reports offered a timely reminder of how some Thais like to presume guilt until innocence is proven.
I fail to understand why a road map’s timeframe cannot be shifted if the circumstances call for it. Why should we assume that the old guard must have ulterior motives for moving the goal posts? And why can’t a public referendum ask citizens to vote on an extension of military rule? Switzerland relies on referendums to decide all sorts of national controversies. If a majority of the public votes for an extension of Prayut Chan-o-cha’s term as prime minister, so be it – he must have done something acceptable. While the US and European governments might look down on his unelected government, deciding its fate by way of a referendum represents a direct form of democracy that bypasses the “indirect” system of party politics.
Meanwhile I am grateful for the “sin tax” because it has brought benefits. Among these is funding for independent television station Thai PBS, which hasn’t quite reached the standards of the BBC yet but is on the right path. Yet greedy opponents are exploiting fears of overspending and weak budgetary controls to try to abolish the tax. My only criticism of Thai PBS is that it is not using enough of its ample resources for investigative reports on areas where others do not dare to tread. Thai PBS should continue its great work but prepare to be subjected to stricter monitoring of its finances.
Songdej Praditsmanont
nationthailand