A nation's shame

I like most, have been saddened by the recent massacre of those young innocents.

Now, Thailand is doing what it does best, as people point the finger and demand measures to avert a repeat of the horrific incident.

Gun control, drug testing and so on, all the usual blah blah.

Why is it that when a policeman is found out to be doing wrong, he is moved to an inactive post, then two months later, reinstated?

The signs were there about this "headcase," but the coverup was blatant.

Shame on you, RTP.

Shame on you Thailand.

Just imagine if it was your kid.

William Sheal

Pay for cops' guns

Re: "Cops' firearms policy under review," (BP, Oct 8).

I looked forward to reading this article to see what reforms were being considered. But after the first two paragraphs, the article says nothing about any policy review.

So let me do your job for you.

Perhaps one policy that could be reviewed is the one that says police must buy their own weapons (with a subsidy).

So, when they leave the job for any reason, they will obviously take their guns with them since they are their personal property (as are the computers and printers they use, and much of their office furniture).

Schoolteachers are not required to buy their own blackboards and chalk. Nurses do not buy their own syringes and thermometers. Why are police officers forced to buy essential equipment?

If guns were provided by the Royal Thai Police, they would be returned to the state whenever a police officer left the force and they would not be available for mass murders or other crimes.

There you go, that wasn't hard, eh?

Alec Bamford

Match day mayhem

Re: "Football madness", (PostBag, Oct 4).

Commenting upon the recent deaths of over 120 people at an Indonesian football stadium, Samanea Saman says: "What is it with people that they feel compelled to become so emotional, even violent, over a simple sporting event?"

While he makes a good point, it should be mentioned that, rather than becoming angry over an ordinary football game, the Indonesian fans became enraged after the police threw tear gas into the crowd.

This was a prescription for disaster, since the stadium was basically full and many exit gates were closed.

So, the deaths of so many innocent people had more to do with the police decision to use tear gas, which caused the fans to become fearful and run en masse to the exits, than anger over the match itself.

Paul

Putin threats a ploy

Re: "Nuclear 'Armageddon' threat back for first time since Cold War," (BP, Oct 7).

Putin's nuclear threats are just the same as Kim Jong-un's. It's nuclear blackmail. Putin hurriedly arranged these sham referendums inside a war zone where half the population had fled for their safety. Now he is using these threats, hoping the West will panic and make concessions to him.

JT

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