Other opinions equally valid, as is freedom of speech

My criticism of Satish Seghal for his double standards has clearly hit a raw nerve, as he responds with a long letter ranging over a number of issues, except the fundamental one of freedom of speech.
He takes me to task for not commenting upon the various factors which led to the military takeover in 2014, but it was not my intention to write a treatise on this subject, many others have done that. I simply wished to point out that while Mr Seghal reserves the right to express his own opinion on the coup, he states that another writer with
a different opinion has no business making such comments. I also felt he needed to be corrected for his assertion that only one side was responsible for violence that preceded the coup – clearly his recollection of events is selective.
As regards Mr Seghal’s “advice” to me that I make a positive contribution to Thailand rather than criticising the junta, I would merely point out that my criticism was aimed at him, and that not all of us foreigners who do indeed make a positive contribution here in one way or another feel the need to advertise our activities.
Robin Grant
Bangkok