re: "Restore trust in justice" (BP, Editorial, September 8, 2023)
Dear editor,
In an editorial actually titled "Restore trust in justice", the Post fails to even mention the injustice rooted in a rule by law that allowed an unelected senate to thwart the will of the Thai nation these last three months almost. And then there are the conveniently strict legalities behind Thaksin Shinawatra's pardon in record speed. Those similarly timed legal deeds, far more so than the saga of Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya or Ittiphol Konplome, cut deep as examples of the "odious twisting of the legal system" the Post rightly rails against.
If truly concerned about the lack of faith in Thailand's justice system, the Post might also have mentioned the traditional abuse that imprisons good Thai citizens merely for peacefully expressing honest, reasonable opinion, or simply asking pertinent questions. Every bit as much as does democratic principle, justice requires that the law not violate but actively protect the right to such speech, offensive though some might find it. It is no accident that Move Forward so quickly won the genuine respect of at least 38% of the Thai people. As a proxy for the Nida polls that have conspicuously not been conducted, I suspect the by-election in Rayong this Sunday, September 10, will show, following the strictly legal acts perpetrated since May 14, that Move Forward's popularity has soared. Move Forward has shown how to truly "Restore trust in justice".
The Post is correct that the ongoing Boss saga and like reflections of traditional practice in the institutions of the Thai legal system point to deep corruption in high places in Thai society, but they are small potatoes compared to law that is itself a tool weaponized to oppose justice.
Felix Qui
_______________________________
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 September 10, 2023, under the title "Injustice abounds" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/2644515/injustice-abounds
No comments:
Post a Comment
However strongly dissenting or concurring, politely worded comments are welcome.
Please note, however, that, due to Felix Qui's liability for them, comments must comply with Thai law, and are moderated accordingly.