Junta strikes again

News of another jail sentence for the Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi widens one's mistrust of the junta. Lest we forget, she has now been sentenced to 26 years in jail for a variety of trumped-up charges. Your caption of her being sentenced by the junta is straight to the point. It would even be better if you emphasise the sentencing was made in a closed court. There is a glimmer of good news in your report that "she appeared in good health."

Songdej Praditsmanont

Gun recipe disaster

Re: "Unlawful guns must be handed in, govt says", (BP, Oct 13).

Like any modern armed force, the police should only have access to a suitable service-owned weapon according to their task. This should be issued at the start of the shift and then unloaded under supervision and locked in an armoury at the station at the end of the shift. Why does a policeman need a loaded weapon at his home? Does a soldier take home his rifle at the end of duty and leave it propped up in the corner of his lounge? Uncontrolled weapons freely accessible are just a recipe for disaster -- as can be seen across the world where this is the case.

Littlepe

Target challenge

Re: "Off target", (Postbag, Oct 12).

Like Robin, I also mourn the passing of Target, which I was accustomed to tackling over breakfast. I cannot see any reason for its disappearance. The solutions to the previous day's puzzles have been enlarged, when they were perfectly legible as they were, so hardly a justification for the demise. Please revive it for those of us who like a word challenge.

Andrew Stewart

Puzzled by absence

Re: "Off target", (PostBag, Oct 12) and "Bullseye", (PostBag, Oct 13).

I too am sorry that the Bangkok Post no longer has the Target puzzle.

This puzzle has been with your paper for as long as I can remember. The oldest (in around the 1960s) contained 10 letters, then it was reduced to nine, eight and then put back up to 10. That was when I started playing the puzzle, using a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet to keep a record. The number of letters was reduced to nine and has remained so until now.

I don't know the reason for the discontinuation. Is it the cost? If so, is it possible to dig up the old puzzles, perhaps the first 10-letter one from 60 years ago, so your readers can enjoy it? I think the puzzles are older than most, if not all, your readers and certainly all of the Post staff.

Jisa Makarasara

Shrinking paper

Re: "Off target", (PostBag, Oct 12), and "Bullseye", (PostBag, Oct 13).

First, the Bangkok Post decimated the comics section, cutting many of readers' long-time favourites. Soon after, the humour of Andrew Biggs was expunged. Recently, the Monday Asian news roundup disappeared. Now, alas, Target is gone! I think everyone has noticed that the daily paper has progressively shrunk to fewer and fewer pages.

I realise the intense financial pressures that newspapers, including the Bangkok Post, face nowadays. But, it appears there will soon be no remaining reason for readers to subscribe.

Samanea Saman

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