On October 28, the China Post reported that gun crimes are growing in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand has more guns in the hands of its civilians than any other country in Southeast Asia, and four times that of the Philippines. This figure is shocking considering the Philippines is notorious for guns and very violent gun crimes. This data may come as a shock to other countries in the world, but to people in Thailand it is not surprising at all. There is not a day that goes by that the news does not report a rape, a murder, or a violent assault involving guns. The crimes have become international and have attracted international media attention, as several tourists to the country have become victims of gun crimes. This has caused many tourists to avoid the country and has lowered Thai morale, as they pride themselves on be a very welcoming country. Many Thai people believe that the increase in guns crimes against tourists could be due to the current flow of money in the Thai economy. They believe it has caused some people in the community to become lazy and greedy, and to believe that they can get “easy-money” by targeting tourists for their valuables. This along with the fact that Thai law enforcement has been deemed corrupt by many, due to links between those in power and the criminals, and Thailand having the highest murder rate by gun in Asia have lead to a major decrease in tourism in the country. Guns get into the hands of civilians because they are readily available and many have them illegally. They are not just in the possession of hardened criminals, but also in student gangs and everyday citizens. Law enforcement must face the issue head on and try to combat the gun crimes, or the tourist industry and the safety of all the people in Thailand will fall sharply.
This article was incredibly interesting to read. I knew that gun crimes in the Philippines were very high, but I had no idea that Thailand was in the state that it is. The article is a great combination of both facts and inside information from the Thai people. This makes the article feel much more personal and real to the reader. You do not see the problem as one around the world, but rather can relate to it directly. The article also gave reasons why the crimes were so high, what they were doing to the country as a whole and its people, and why the police were not concerned with the problem. However, it did not go on to describe what steps need to be taken in order to get law enforcement more involved and to help combat the problem. I feel that this would have ended the article in a more complete way. Overall, the article was very informative, coherent, and enjoyable to read.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/special-to-the-china-post/2012/10/28/359039/Growing-gun.htm
11/1/12 11:30 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment