re: "Treading a fine line over China" (BP, Opinion, October 14, 2019)
Dear editor,
Did I read Veera Prateepchaikul right in "Treading a fine line over China" (BP, Opinion, October 14)? When he writes in a sneering tone of Future Forward's Thanatorn Juangroongruangkit's "obsession with democracy and freedom" did Veera seriously mean to suggest that a society might value too highly democracy and freedom? And in his eagerness to appease both the Chinese communists and Thailand's forces equally opposed to such good values, does Veera really mean that good people should not take a unwavering stand in defence of democracy and freedom?
Compromise is one thing, and Future Forward's reasonable leaders have in practice and principle always sought compromise. They have publicly committed to and have in their acts sought only reform that is done openly, transparently and in accord with the law as written.
Appeasement is a totally different thing, and as history shows, craven pusillanimity in the face of brutes only encourages bullies, communist and otherwise, to greater suppression of freedom and democracy, both of which demand unrelenting vigilance if they are to flourish.
Perhaps Veera should review section 2 of the Thai constitution, which, with neither compromise not appeasement, explicitly defines the Thai nation as having a democratic form of government.
Felix Qui
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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.
The text as edited was published in PostBag on October 15, 2019, under the title "This can't be right" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1772134/horse-first-then-cart
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