The incumbent president of Taiwan was re-elected on Saturday in an election seen as critical to the future of the island nation in the western Pacific Ocean economically and politically (Taiwan's president wins close re-election fight, January 15).
I guess Beijing and Taipei policymakers, excluding the challenger Tsai Ing-wen, are pretty much happy with the results as Ma Ying-jeou of the ruling Kuomintang Party had 51.6 per cent of the votes.
Ms Tsai, as we know, advocates breaking with the status quo with China, which is on the way towards "one China". She, however, only won 45.6 per cent of the votes.
Probably China and the US were not content with Ms Tsai's stance on a separate identity and on formal statehood. Neither would have liked to see her as president for a four-year term whose impact on business, geopolitics and security in the region would be questionable and days of chaos and uncertainty would be back.
I hope that the votes of Taiwan's people for Mr Ma will lead the incumbent president towards corruption-free politics, prosperity and peace for another four-year. The resignation of Ms Tsai as the chairperson of her party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), should not make the voters think that Taiwan cannot have an opposition voice or that any voice that is not pro-China will be defeated.
Gaye Caglayan, Dubai
Investigate reason for alleged suicide
Your article Father and daughter found dead in Dubai flat (January 15) was sad and painful to read.
The incident happened in a residential flat in Bur Dubai.
The reason for this is not known but it is a tragedy. The girl's mother survived with wounds in the hospital. A suicidal motive could be mainly due to the pressure of financial stress or other personal problems.
K Ragavan, India
Social media harm social interactions
I enjoyed reading Rym Ghazal's column When tweeters become twits, communication suffers (January 12). It reminded me of a recent family concern about the immediacy of today's "social media".
No doubt that, for Ms Ghazal's grandmother, words written or typed and then mailed were carefully considered because the eraser was a poor replacement for spell check, delete and backspace. The phone was generally a one-on-one experience where there was the opportunity to recant the inappropriate remark. To hang up on someone or eavesdrop was a kind of cyber crime.
Are our kids using Facebook, emails and Twitter with the same open style that in the past we reserved for the spoken word, where the immediacy and context permits corrections and allows a certain latitude so we all stay friends and don't misunderstand each other?
The problem seems to be that the "cyber word" hangs around until it's cold, every ill-considered thought can be revisited, pain is immediate but corrections are made lame by time and there can be a blind carbon-copy audience egging the participants on.
Has social media created a communications environment where words that would have been healthy in one discussion in the past are now more likely to escalate into a war of words?
If so, do we caution the youth or have they adapted so well that insults by internet that remind my generation of a poison pen letter are like water off a duck's back for kids today?
Ms Ghazal's column always entertains and stimulates.
Peter Chadwick, Dubai
Limited options for telecoms users
A couple of days ago I decided to subscribe to OSN TV network. I paid the fees and when the technicians came to install the decoder they informed me that the building's central dish was an old model and did not receive lo band which is required for the cable network to operate.
The only way was to install a separate dish at my expense. I agreed but was surprised that the building owner did not agree.
I was told many owners reject this. I don't understand why I can't get a service that I would like to pay for?
Either the owner should change his old useless dish or let me install mine at my expense. And please don't mention Etisalat e-life to me. I don't want to be forced to pay Etisalat against my will.
I'm already suffering with my internet service, mobile lines and careless service.
Ahmed Fekri, Abu Dhabi
Grand mourning of a pet loss
I refer to Mourning a loved pet affects the appetite (January 12).
Sincere condolences to Nouf Al Qasimi. Her eulogy to her dog Emile was heart-rending and beautiful.
Jane Guiver, Sharjah
