This post is alegedly from Alla Bout, the Wife of Viktor Bout

Prejudice is always one-sided

I was not surprised to see the old school amplifying 10-year-old propaganda in response to my interview, which was published in the Bangkok Post on June 7. One writer suggested that family members of an accused person should not be heard because they will be "one-sided:, naturally toward the accused, while the other echoed the same before reciting in full detail the American accusations from the viewpoint broadcast on the BBC.

The irony is that I actually do agree with the letter writers that a family member of an accused will naturally side with their own family. I am the wife of Viktor Bout and I will stand by and support my husband regardless of what anyone may say about him. This is just the normal reaction in families; where I come from, a good wife has a duty to always stand by her husband.

What I wonder is why the writers were not critical of the BBC programme given that the programme was not at all ''independent'', but totally ''one-sided'' against Viktor Bout? Perhaps anything one-sided is acceptable to them as long as it is against Viktor Bout, a man who has been under various accusations for more than 10 years, yet none of the accusations has so far turned out to be true or could be proven.

One would surely question why the West would abruptly stifle those asking for a show of some evidence? Is a wife's voice asking for evidence so unusual, or is it just not permitted under the policy of prejudice and hate? Why don't we ask the BBC how come they only interviewed those benefiting from portraying Viktor Bout as a criminal, while there was no one speaking for Viktor _ or was there, Mr ''concerned writer''?

If the Americans had all the proof, why would they not show it in court? The court records are posted on www.victorbout.com and there can be no denial to what has transpired in the court.
Maybe the Bush-style justice is what we must accept? Just take the Americans' word for it ... Well, nothing worse than the Iraq lie can happen, can it?

Perhaps the writers forgot that ''people are innocent until proven guilty?'' If not, they would not be questioning the ''decency'' of the Thai court and the Thai government. Or perhaps, anyone who questions American bullying is, at least .. indecent! It is funny that when the ''accuser's alleged evidence'' cannot be shown except in the US, suddenly the ''concerned writers'' emerge to amplify the Bush-style ''don't ask'' propaganda.

Well, after all I am just a concerned wife who shall and intends to, one-sided or not, support her husband, and shall ask to see evidence without yielding to hate or prejudice.

Alla Bout

The Rest @ The Bankok Times