EXCERPT: ''We feel that this decision gives us and other civil society groups the mandate to protect our environment against the onslaught of transgenic crops,'' said Ms Patwajee after hearing the verdict.
The GM papaya, however, continued to spread and immediate action needed to be taken to stop it, she said.
''We must also ensure that those responsible for the widespread transgenic papaya contamination in our country are brought to justice,'' she said.
Emmy Hafild, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the court's landmark decision set a precedent in Southeast Asia where people are being turned into guinea pigs before they could understand the risks posed by GM food and crops.
---
Court clears activists of theft and trespass
TRIAL / GREENPEACE RAID ON GM RESEARCH STATION
SUMET WANNAPRUEK
Bangkok Post, September 16 2006
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Sep2006_news06.php
[Picture caption: Greenpeace activist Patwajee Srisuwan (right) celebrates with a friend after the Khon Kaen Court acquitted her and former Greenpeace executive director Jiragorn Gajaseni of theft, trespass and destruction of property charges filed by the Department of Agriculture. The activists raided the department's research station in 2004 to prove that genetically-modified papaya grown there had spread elsewhere. - GREENPEACE SOUTHEAST ASIA]
The Khon Kaen provincial court yesterday acquitted two Greenpeace activists, who raided the Department of Agriculture (DoA)'s genetically-modified papaya plantation two years ago, of theft and trespass charges. The court ruled the evidence presented was too weak to prove that former Greenpeace executive director Jiragorn Gajaseni and campaigner Patwajee Srisuwan had trespassed on the department's research station and destroyed state property.
Mr Jiragorn and Ms Patwajee could have faced a five-year jail term if found guilty.
The DoA, under the supervision of Chakan Saengraksawong, then department chief, filed charges against the activists in 2004 accusing them of trespassing on its 11.5-rai GM papaya trial field and smuggling transgenic papaya seeds out of the site.
Mr Chakan claimed that the two defendants' actions had caused serious damage to the 20-million-baht research project.
The joint project with Cornell University in the United States aims to develop a papaya resistant to the ringspot virus, common in papaya-growing countries.
Greenpeace raided the test site and destroyed some papaya trees in July 2004 after finding that GM papaya, which is banned from commercial plantations, had spread to farmers' papaya fields.
They suspected that the transgenic crops were spread from the department's field and demanded the department destroy all papaya trees, fruit and seedlings in the research station.
Greenpeace claimed that their action was aimed at protecting the public interest and the rights of consumers and farmers.
Greenpeace yesterday hailed the court's decision as a victory for the environment and freedom of expression.
''We feel that this decision gives us and other civil society groups the mandate to protect our environment against the onslaught of transgenic crops,'' said Ms Patwajee after hearing the verdict.
The GM papaya, however, continued to spread and immediate action needed to be taken to stop it, she said.
''We must also ensure that those responsible for the widespread transgenic papaya contamination in our country are brought to justice,'' she said.
Emmy Hafild, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the court's landmark decision set a precedent in Southeast Asia where people are being turned into guinea pigs before they could understand the risks posed by GM food and crops.
DoA chief Adisak Sreesunpagit said the department would consult with the state prosecution as to whether the agency should appeal the verdict. The department has 30 days to appeal.