[Ip-health] Thailand: Democrats demand PM reveal details of FTA talks

[Manon Ress]

Democrats demand PM reveal details of FTA talks
Published on January 09, 2006
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/01/09/headlines/index.php?
news=3Dheadlines_19605224.html

As the sixth round of free-trade talks with the United States begins
here today, the Democrat Party yesterday urged the government to make
details of the talks public. Democrat party-list MP Kiate Sitthi-
amorn demanded that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra provide proof
to back up his claim that Thailand would stand to lose about US$7
billion (Bt278 billion) in trade opportunities if it did not sign the
FTA with the US.

Most studies conducted by academics and concerned groups show that
the Thai-US FTA would have a negative impact on Thai people, Kiate
said, adding that the prime minister has never paid attention to
these studies.

Kiate said that the US wants Thailand to abide by the conditions
agreed to with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1994.

=93If we grant the US=92s demand, Thailand also has to use the same
conditions with the other 146 member countries of the WTO,=94 he said.

The deal would negatively impact the Thai public=92s rights to
information and technology and conditions placed by the US on the
deal would also affect the lives of those living with HIV/Aids, the
MP added.

=93They would have to pay more than 25 times the price for anti-
retroviral drugs,=94 said Kiate.

Some 3,000 protesters, most of whom are infected with HIV, arrived in
Chiang Mai yesterday from all over the country equipped with maps,
blankets, food and water.

=93The talks will affect HIV- infected people, that is why many of us
are here,=94 said Kamol Uppakaew, one of 2,500 people belonging to a
member of a network of people living with HIV/Aids that showed up at
the protest gathering site opposite Chiang Mai railway station.

Representatives of northern farmers and the urban poor also showed up
for the protests. Ubon Yuuwha, of the Alternative Agriculture
Network, said small-scale farmers from the South and Northeast are on
their way to join the rally.

While waiting for the sixth round of trade talks to begin, protesters
spent their time producing small flags containing anti-FTA messages
for distribution today. A campaign to explain their views to the
public in this northern province was also organised in the hopes that
local people would join the rally.

Those opposing the Thai-US FTA said the nation as a whole would
suffer tremendously if the government bent to accommodate all of the
conditions sought by the US, many of which they said are only in the
interest of the US and a few Thai investors and businesses.

Talks for this round will focus on intellectual property rights,
agricultural market access and the services and financial sector.
Rallies are set to take place throughout the week until talks
conclude on Friday.

Kiate said that these groups rallied against the talks because they
want the government to make a deal that is transparent and in the
country=92s best interest.

Kiate also slammed the Thaksin government, saying that Thailand is
the only country in the world that has avoided parliamentary scrutiny
on FTAs. Most countries that Thailand has negotiated with have put
the deal under the scrutiny of their parliaments.

Another Democrat party-list MP, Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich called
for Thaksin to step down. She said he had already lost the legitimacy
needed to govern because he intentionally violated the constitution
by avoiding parliamentary scrutiny on the Thai-US FTA.

Bancha Khaengkhan,

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation

Chiang Mai

************************************************
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

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