FOCUS ON ASIA
http://www.gmwatch.org/asia.asp

BioThai are calling for the head of Thailand's Agriculture Minister:

EXCERPT: The discovery of genetically-modified papayas outside Khon Kaen would seem to contradict [the Minister]'s claim that only Khon Kaen was found to have GM papayas.

Withoon suspected a wider spread of GM papayas in Ubon Ratchathani because contaminated samples were found to be those given to villagers by state experimental farms. He said thousands of families were given such seedlings.

He accused Somsak [the Minister] of covering up the information and failing to stop the spread of contamination. The group will call on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to sack Somsak.

1.GMO CONTAMINATION: Somsak urged to quit over papayas
2.Farmers risk violating US patents
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1.GMO CONTAMINATION : Somsak urged to quit over papayas
Suphon Thanukrit
The Nation, Sep 30, 2004
http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=5&id=121732&usrsess=1

Activist blames minister for cover-up, failure to curb spread of tainted fruit

A non-governmental organisation activist yesterday called on Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somsak Thepsuthin to quit his post in 30 days if he fails to curb the spread of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Bio-diversity and Community Rights Action Thailand director Withoon Lianchamroon said Somsak covered up information about the spread of genetically-modified papayas.

"Since news about the GMO contamination broke out three months ago, Somsak failed to curb the spread of the contamination and he covered up information. If he cannot solve the problem, he should consider resigning," he said.

Withoon yesterday revealed the results of tests carried out at the agency's laboratory on GM papaya samples taken from Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Chumphon, Khon Kaen, Ratchaburi, Sakhon Nakhon and Ubon Ratchathani.

Of the 28 samples, two were found to be GM papayas. They were from Khon Kaen's Chumpae district and Ubon Ratchathani’s Samrong district.

Papaya samples taken from six hypermarkets and malls in Ngamwongwan, Pongphet, Prachaniwet and Rattanathibet were found not to be GMOs.

Somsak earlier insisted that tests on papayas taken from 2,345 farmers in 35 provinces revealed that only some samples from Khon Kaen were found to be GMOs.

The discovery of genetically-modified papayas outside Khon Kaen would seem to contradict Somsak's claim that only Khon Kaen was found to have GM papayas.

Withoon suspected a wider spread of GM papayas in Ubon Ratchathani because contaminated samples were found to be those given to villagers by state experimental farms. He said thousands of families were given such seedlings.

He accused Somsak of covering up the information and failing to stop the spread of contamination. The group will call on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to sack Somsak.

“We believe there are more competent ministers who can handle the problem,’’ he said.

The group will also file a complaint with the Administrative Court to protect consumer rights, he said.
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2.Farmers risk violating US patents
RANJANA WANGVIPULA
Bangkok Post, 29 Sep 2004
http://www.biothai.org/cgi-bin/content/news/show.pl?0360

AGRICULTURE/GM PAPAYA RESEARCH

Thai farmers risk being held liable for patent violations under patent application rights for genetically modified (GM) papaya being considered by American biotechnologists working with Thai scientists, experts said yesterday.

They have urged the government to pay close attention to the issue and plan to discuss it with senators today.

The patent applications were submitted two years ago in the United States by research teams led by American gene specialist Dennis Gonsalves.

Patent protection will cover papaya ringspot virus genes added to papayas to boost resistance to the disease, viral DNA structures, genetically modified techniques and GM papaya, according to copies of applications presented at a forum held yesterday by the National Human Rights Commission.

"If Thai farmers export GM papayas without knowing whether they are patented, they could risk violating intellectual [property] rights,'' intellectual property law expert Jade Donavanik said.

Mr Jade is a member of a special panel recently assigned by Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsuthin to examine US patent applications. The panel has been given 30 days to complete its work.

Although Thailand has banned open field trials of GM crops and their commercial cultivation, the forum raised concerns about the recent cases of GM papaya contamination in the country.

Legal expert Somchai Ratanachueskul said papaya farmers could be considered to have broken patent laws even if their fruits were accidentally tainted by unwanted GM genes.

He cited the case of a Canadian farmer, Percy Schmeiser, who was found early this year to have violated a patent on GM canola, an oil-rich plant, developed by transnational company Monsanto, even though he said his crops were contaminated because winds carried GM genes onto his farms.

A retired Thai expert Nonglak Sarindu, a former gene specialist at the Department of Agriculture, has been named as a co-inventor of GM papaya, but Mr Jade said it remained unclear what the details of the contract were between Ms Nonglak and the US and just how much Thailand would benefit from the joint research.

Ms Nonglak was part of a research team at Cornell University in the US that used a papaya ringspot virus gene found in Thailand in a GM technique study.

Experts also expressed concern over the second round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the US on Oct 11 as they said talks may include intellectual property protection and genetically modified organisms.

The US wants Thailand to ratify the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as this would ease the regulations required for patent applications.

Under the PCT, American inventors could submit applications immediately in the United States without having to do so in other countries where they want to protect their patent rights.

A US agency will help Thai intellectual property officials examine patent applications, but experts said this would make Thailand rely entirely on the PCT system and thus lose the right to examine specific cases itself