[Ip-health] Thai civil society joins forces with international NGOs to denounce the EU Trade Commissioner and the US Ambassador for their interference in Thailand’s CL decision

Wed Aug 22 05:43:44 2007

Thai civil society joins forces with international
NGOs to denounce the EU Trade Commissioner and the US
Ambassador for their interference in Thailand=92s CL
decision and state that the PM has no rights to give
assurance that Thailand will not issue more CLs.

(August 22, 2007/Bangkok) The Thai Network of People
Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+), the Social Network for
Cancer Patients, AIDS Access Foundation, Foundation
for Consumers, M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res (MSF), and
Oxfam held a press conference today to denounce Mr.
Peter Mandelson, the EU Trade Commissioner and Mr.
Ralph L. Boyce, the US Ambassador to Thailand for
issuing letters to interfere with Thailand=92s
compulsory licensing decision.

Wirat Purahong, Chairman of TNP+, says that the
network will keep supporting the decision of
Thailand=92s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to issue
compulsory licensing on essential medicines needed by
Thai people in order to increase universal access to
health care on a sustainable basis, despite pressure
and opposition from the world=92s superpowers or drug
industry.  =93We affirm that the MoPH has made the right
move; it needs to continue or follow through with its
decision , not only with AIDS drugs but also medicines
for other chronic diseases=94.

For people living with HIV/AIDS, the issuance of CL
can bring them greater and more inclusive health
benefits under the National Health Insurance Schemes
such as access to viral load tests.  Moreover, the
schemes can provide more outcome-effective health care
as a result of improved cost efficiency in their
budgets.

Nathicha Chuathong of the Social Network for Cancer
Patients says that at present cancer patients are
faced with heavy financial burdens due to cancer.  =93We
believe that CL can grant greater access to medicines
and help extend patients=92 lives without bankrupting
them.  Therefore, we support the MoPH and other
government agencies to push hard for increasing Thai
people=92s access to medicines, without fear of pressure
from the world=92s superpowers=94.

Dr. Jiraporn Limpananont, chairperson of the
Foundation for Consumers, says that the Foundation
disagrees with the letters issued by the EU Trade
Commissioner and the US Ambassador to Thailand because
they were intended to interfere with Thailand=92s
national policy on CL to increase access to medicines
and health care.  They did this despite knowing that
our policy is fully compliant with national and
international laws on intellectual property rights.

=93The US Ambassador has told us that the US does not
seek to deter Thailand from issuing CL.  He would
certainly know the Thai proverb =91Practice what you
preach=92 very well.  So, I feel fairy disappointed to
see that he has done an utterly unacceptable thing to
all Thais: to have issued a letter to the Thai Prime
Minister to persuade him not to proceed with
compulsory licensing.  I personally believe that the
Prime Minister didn=92t give him any assurance that no
new CL will be issued.  Otherwise, it does mean that
he has given up our national sovereignty to the US
despite the fact that every country has inherent right
to issue CL,=94 says Dr. Jiraporn.

Lawan Sarovat, Deputy Medical Coordinator of M=E9decins
Sans Fronti=E8res =96 MSF (Thailand), says that MSF
supports the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities to
grant access to medicines.  =93On behalf of MSF, an
organization with main operational sections in Europe,
we suggest that Mr. Peter Mandelson should comply with
the European Parliament resolution of 12 July 2007 on
the TRIPS Agreement and access to medicines asking the
EU member states to support the developing countries
which use the so-called flexibilities built into the
TRIPS Agreement and recognized by the Doha Declaration
in order to be able to provide essential medicines at
affordable prices under their domestic public health
programmes=94.  Currently, MSF has collaborated with
Oxfam to report to members of the European Parliament
so that they will urge EU representatives to respect
the European Parliament resolution.

Yowalak Thiarachow , Programme Manager for Thailand of
Oxfam GB, says that Oxfam takes a strong stance in
supporting the use=97especially by developing
countries=97of flexibilities built into TRIPS.
=93Thailand=92s issuance of compulsory licensing does not
violate the TRIPS agreement.  Even the European
parliament also passed a resolution supporting
developing countries to use TRIPS flexibilities to
ensure access to medicines.  Now more access to
medicines, not only for HIV/AIDS but also for other
diseases, is still of crucial importance.  In the
past, CL has proved that it can increase access to
medicines and greatly reduce mortality rates.
Therefore, it is the government=92s duty to ensure
better access to medicines for its people.  In
addition, Oxfam urges the EU Trade Commission to stop
pressuring Thailand.=94

Further information please contact:
Mr.Paul Cawthrone, Head of Mission, Medecins Sans
Frontieres =96 Belgium (Thailand) 081-9873206
Mrs.Yowalak Thiarachow, Program Manager for Thailand,
Oxfam GB 0811706559

Kannikar KIJTIWATCHAKUL (Kar)
Access Campaigner
MSF Belgium - Thailand Mission,
522 Mooban Nakorn Thai 14,
Ladphrao Soi 101/1,
Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240
Tel (+66) 2370 3087
Fax (+66) 2731 1432
Mobile (+66) 85-0708954

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