Arresting questions

re: "The power of a child's questioning mind" (BP, October 27, 2021)

 
Dear editor,

The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI)'s Phusima Pinyosinwat's article "The power of a child's questioning mind" was encouraging to read. The fatal sting for the frogs trapped beneath the coconut shell is in the concluding sentences: "Change is possible. All it takes is to allow students to ask questions."

Change threatens progress that could bring reason, honesty, transparency, even justice and other non-traditional values. That is why Thai law allied to alleged social norms harshly punishes, and in many cases criminalizes, students asking questions. How many intelligent, inquisitive, educated students have been arrested in the past week alone merely for expressing opinions that pose thoughtful questions in a perfectly peaceful manner?

You cannot without self-contradiction agree with Phusima's ideas and support law that enforces ignorance of social issues. Anyone who cares for a decent education for Thai children will, therefore, oppose Thailand's undemocratically repressive LM and other laws that set the opposite example that is called for if Thai youth is to be encouraged to understand local, regional, national, or international issues.

Does the current Minister of Education fail to see the contradiction between claiming to value informed opinion of worth, something that can come only from critical thinking, and Thai law backed by blinding tradition that enforces mindless ignorance?

 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 30, 2021, under the title "Arresting questions" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/2206547/fuel-for-change