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

1.PM cited in police complaint
2.PM silent after forced into a corner
3.Farmers call for testing of corn samples to fight contamination
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1.PM cited in papaya complaint
The Nation, Sep 18, 2004
http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=3&id=121047&usrsess=1

A farm advocacy group yesterday filed a police complaint accusing the prime minister and senior agriculture officials of negligence resulting in the contamination of local varieties of papaya by genetically modified (GM) strains.

The Network of Northeastern Alternative Agriculture called on Khon Kaen police to launch a criminal investigation into the spread of GM papayas from a government research station to local farms.

"Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsuthin and government scientists running the experimental field tests for GM papayas should be held accountable for the contamination," said network leader Bumrung Kayotha.

The network held a march against GM crops before filing the complaint.

Bumrung said the government had fallen prey to multinational companies because the promotion of GM crops was a commercial ploy to dominate Thai agriculture.

Khon Kaen Consumer's Network, a non-governmental organisation, called for the government to compensate papaya farmers if their crops are found to be tainted with GM strains.

Many farmers in Khon Kaen and other northeastern provinces received free papaya seeds from the research station, some of which were found to be from GM papayas.

Somsak said he had launched an internal investigation to determine how the GM papayas from the experimental fields had leaked to taint local crops, as well as ordering a probe into whether importers had violated the ban on GM soybean.
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2.ANALYSIS: Thaksin tries saying less to be liked more [shortened]
Weerayut Chokchaimadon
THE NATION, Sep 18, 2004
http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=5&id=121038&usrsess=1

With no signs of his popularity slide slowing, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has finally found the root of the problem, the same problem that has hurt not only him but also his government badly in the last few months. It's his mouth.

He has therefore decided to zip it and let his policies speak for themselves. He is doing this for one reason - to regain positive political momentum and keep alive his hopes of occupying the PM's chair for another term.

Thaksin, on Wednesday, abruptly changed his public tactics from commenting on virtually every issue under the sun to staying mum.

He has even refused to comment on controversial issues like the use of a bird-flu vaccine and the eradication of genetically modified papaya, telling reporters to ask his ministers instead.

This is highly unusual for the premier, who has come across as the solo ruler who overshadows all his Cabinet members by commanding the government's every move.

Thaksin apparently has surrendered to political circumstances, which have forced him into a corner.

Thaksin's habit of speaking before he thinks without a deep understanding of the core of problems also has left him embarrassed on many an occasion.

He has been pressured to make U-turns, even unwillingly, on some recent major policies like cutting operating hours of department stores, legalising bird-flu vaccines and supporting research of genetically modified crops.

His retreats have raised doubts about his leadership and underlined his weaknesses while his popularity slides.
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3.Farmers call for testing of corn samples to fight contamination
GMOS - POSSIBLE INVASION
KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI - SUMET WANNAPRUEK
Bangkok Post, 18 Sep 2004
http://www.biothai.org/cgi-bin/content/news/show.pl?0343

Corn samples will be collected from Ubon Ratchathani's Nam Yeun district to be tested for genetically modified organisms after corn farmers voiced concern about possible contamination of local plantations.

Ubon Ratchathani senator Dr Nirund Pitakwatchara said he would ask the National Human Rights Commission and the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to look into it in the same way they did with the GM papaya scandal in Khon Kaen province.

Nam Yuen district is one of the country's major corn-producing areas, said Dr Nirund, and agencies should urgently look into the possible invasion of GM corn.

He said farmers in northeastern provinces were in panic after leakage of GM papaya from the DoA's Khon Kaen research station was confirmed on Tuesday.

The DoA allows the import of GM corn seedlings for research purposes only. Research on GM corn is being carried out here by the DoA and private firms, including Monsanto Thailand, Syngenta and Dupont.

Agro-business firm Monsanto Thailand, which has been jointly experimenting on transgenic corn with Mae Jo University in Chiang Mai province, said GM contamination of corn was highly unlikely.

"The experiments have been conducted under the strict supervision of the National Biosafety Committee. Moreover, the experiments are conducted only in a laboratory and greenhouse, not in open fields. It can't be possible that GM corn had
leaked from the university's research station," said company spokesman Kongtat Janchai.

The firm has also completed pest-resistance experiments on two varieties of GM corn - one resistant to worms and the other to Round Up, a herbicide distributed by the company itself.

"The laboratory and greenhouse experiments were completed in 2002. We had been looking forward to conducting field trials so that we could go ahead with our corn seed production business," said Mr Kongtat, expressing disappointment at the government's decision to maintain a ban on field experiments of transgenic crops. Monsanto executives have said Thailand would become a base for the company's hybrid and GM corn production and exports. The firm had been promoting the benefits of its transgenic corn to local farmers since late last year.

Meanwhile, in Khon Kaen, activists yesterday held a rally to demand legal action against the Agriculture Department and its staff for illegally releasing GM papaya seedlings to farmers.

About 50 people representing organisations involved in activities like organic agriculture, human rights, consumers' rights and anti-corruption, marched to the provincial town to make their case.