Thai-US Free Trade Agreement Draws Protests

[Jai Dee]

DR.SOMKID: THE DETAILS OF FTA NEGOTIATION WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister SOMKID JATUSRIPITAK (สมคิด จาตุศรีพิทักษ์) stated that the government and the general public have given significance and have shown their interest towards the Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement.

He added that the negotiation team will be instructed to present the facts of the agreement to the House of Representatives and the Senate, in order to create good understanding about the agreement.

Dr. SOMKID believes such action will help the United States to see the importance of the agreement between both countries, and it will also create good image for Thailand.

According to Dr. SOMKID, the Commerce Ministry will organize a seminar for the media during February 10th to 12th. There, the media will be informed about the preparation, advantages and disadvantages of the Thai-US FTA agreement.

The topics of trade balance, import, export and the cost of living will also be discussed at the seminar.

The Commerce Minister said that the seminar will help the media to have better understanding so that they can publicize useful and accurate information to the general public.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 27 January 2006

[Jai Dee]

DEP PM SOMKID TO DECLARE THE PROGRESS OF FTA TALKS WITH ALL TRADING PARTNERS TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak (สมคิด จาตุศรีพิทักษ์), prepares to declare the progress of FTA talks with all trading partners to the Senate Committee.

President of special committee of the Senate, Surachai Danaitangtrakul (สุรชัย ดนัยตั้งตระกูล) revealed that Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak (สมคิด จาตุศรีพิทักษ์), as president of the FTA talks committee, will declare progress of the government’s trade negotiations for free trade areas to the Senate committee. He said that the meeting will allow the members of the committee to ask and discuss about important issues in the FTA talks. He said that on March 4, the matter will be submitted to the Senate meeting as the first motion, but he expects that the meeting will deliberate the issue on March 6.

The issues that the Senators are especially interested in include the Thai-US FTA negotiations, especially the drug-patent issue.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 31 January 2006

[Jai Dee]

HIV patients urging Public Health Ministry to review granting patent to Combit drug under the Thai-US FTA

HIV patients yesterday called on Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat (พินิจ จารุสมบัติ) to review the proposed registration of "Combit" AIDS antiviral in Thailand, as it was not a new drug.

A network of HIV patients yesterday submitted a letter to the Public Health Minister Phinij to review the registration of the "Combit" antiviral, under the Thai-US FTA agreement. The patients argue that the patent for the antiviral had already expired, and such request for registration also did not get approved in the United Kingdom. Should the Department of Intellectual Property allow the patent to be issued, then Thailand would have to pay around 400 million baht per year to purchase the drug for 150 baht per pill.

The Combit drug is used on HIV patients who are allergic to other antivirals. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization has been able to produce the drug for an expense as low as 25 baht per pill.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 Febuary 2006

[Jai Dee]

Permanent Secretary of Commerce Ministry Karoon Kittisataporn selected as new head negotiator for the Thai-US FTA.

Permanent Secretary of the Commerce Ministry Karoon Kittisataporn (การุณ กิตติสถาพร) has been selected as a new head of negotiators for the Thai-US FTAs, saying that he will do his best although the job is not easy.

Mr. Karoon revealed that he felt honored that the cabinet trusts and selected him to head the negotiating team. He said that heading the team responsible for the Thai-US FTA negotiation is not easy, as negotiations with major power like the United States will be complicated and multidimensional, adding that the deal will affect the national interests.

He said that he will be patient and apply the knowledge and experience he has gained over the course of years to the negotiations, so that the benefits to the country from the negotiations can be maximized.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 Febuary 2006

[sriracha john]

‘Secret’ FTA details on the Net

Published on February 08, 2006

The Nation

Details of US proposals in free-trade talks with Thailand – perceived by many Thais as “forbidden information” the government has tried to cover up – were recently posted for all to see in cyberspace. Witoon Leanchamroon, director of BioThai, a non-government organisation working for bio-diversity and community rights, said at a press conference yesterday he had been told a group of Americans involved in public health issues had posted a full text of the patent chapter from the Thai-US free trade talks at www.bilaterals.org.

Those who posted the text were trying to bring transparency to the free-trade agreement (FTA) talks and were concerned that the Thai-US trade pact might increase drug prices in the US, he said.

“They are afraid the Thai public might not be able to evaluate the possible impacts on their healthcare since the Thai negotiating team has declined to disclose [details of] the US proposals.”

He suspected the information might have been leaked by members of the US negotiating team who disagreed with the FTA’s drug patent proposals, believing they would have an adverse impact on the public-health system here.

As well as bringing the agreement out of the “twilight zone”, some US health groups have pressured US officials to drop demands to protect intellectual property rights of makers of pharmaceutical products from the Thai FTA, Witoon said.

Nitya Pibulsonggram, former head of the Thai negotiating team, insisted earlier that he had a “gentleman’s agreement” with the US negotiators that the text would not be disclosed until the FTA deal was finalised.

Uttama Savanayana, who was assigned by Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to play a key role in the sixth round of negotiations with the US in Chiang Mai early last month, said he could not comment on whether the disclosure of the text would affect the ongoing talks.

The key demands of the US include compensation for shortening of a patent due to unreasonable delays by the Thai Department of Intellectual Property in issuing a patent or the Food and Drug Administration in giving marketing approval; protecting the clinical testing data of original drugs; and restricting the use of compulsory licensing during national health crises.

[Jai Dee]

That Website has a lot of press articles on the subject of the Thai-US FTA, but I couldn't find the "full text of the patent chapter from the Thai-US free trade talks" that The Nation article references...

Anyone else got a source?

[Jai Dee]

Mr. Thanong believes Mr. Karun will carry out good performance as the head of Thai-US FTA negotiation team

Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya (ทนง พิทยะ) stated that Secretary-General to the Commerce Ministry Karun Kittisathaporn (การุณ กิตติสถาพร) will carry out good performance as a new head of the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement negotiation team.

Mr. Thanong said that Mr. Karun has experiences since he was one of the negotiation team for the FTA between Thai-New Zealand and Thai-Australia. He stated that he has good negotiation skills and knows how to negotiate for the benefits of the country.

He added that it should not be a pressuring situation for Mr. Karun since he is a government official and everyone in this post will have to work according to the policies.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 Febuary 2006

[Jai Dee]

Mr. Karun confirms that he will primarily consider Thailand's benefits during Thai-US FTA negotiation

The Head of the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement negotiation team, Mr. Karun Kittisathaporn (การุณ กิตติสถาพร), has confirmed that he will consider Thailand's benefits and interests during the negotiation. He has also affirmed that Thailand is still considering the United States’ demand.

Secretary-General to the Commerce Ministry Karun Kittisathaporn said that this FTA negotiation will be based on seeking advantages for the kingdom. He said that he is willing to hear suggestions and instructions from agencies who will gather next week to discuss over the pact.

Referring to the drug patents, Mr. Karun expressed that Thailand must obtain high-quality medicines at proper prices. He said that this negotiation will provide more benefits for Thailand than the negotiation during the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference.

He said that the opening of Thai-US market will surge investment in Thailand, and it will also increase the employment rate in the country.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 09 Febuary 2006

[penzman]

Clinton opposes Thai auto access

Washington - US Senator Hillary Clinton, delivered the closing address to a convention of United Auto Workers this morning Thailand time, launching an attack on Thailand for trying to steal US jobs with a Free Trade Agreement, news reports said.

She said Thailand should be kept out of the US market. Mrs Clinton referred to the ongoing free-trade agreement talks between Bangkok and Washington, and said Thai automakers should be kept out of the US market. The Bush administration is allowing US manufacturing to wither away, she said.

Speaking to an enthusiastic Democratic crowd that increasingly sees their jobs moving overseas, she sounded downright protectionist on trade issues, saying Thailand should not be granted access to the US auto market.

The US and Thailand are currently in negotiations on a new trade pact that aims at eliminating a 25 percent tariff on pickup trucks made in Thailand. The UAW is strongly opposed to the FTA.

Mrs Clinton is a Democrat Party senator from New York state, which has lost some auto jobs. But she appears set to challenge the Republican Party of George W. Bush on a national level. She was cheered heartily by the auto workers even before she entered the banquet hall. A few shouted "Hillary for President!", and the UAW official who introduced Clinton suggested she may be the first woman elected to the White House in 2008.

She told the auto workers the way to protect their American jobs is to elect more Democrats.

The bulk of Mrs Clinton's 30-minute speech focused on economic issues and the troubled US auto industry, which is losing market share to foreign manufacturers and bracing for tens of thousands of layoffs.

Those worries are strong in Lockport, New York, where 3,800 may lose their jobs due to the bankruptcy of their employer, auto parts maker Delphi Corp.

Clinton said the Bush administration has not done enough to keep America competitive in the global marketplace.

"We have no economic policy in this country ... We don't have a plan," she said. "My plea today is let's be tough, let's be strong, let's be smart."

Clinton urged a new long-term effort by the government and private oil companies to fund research and development, particularly in energy-saving technologies.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...ws.php?id=78348

[Jai Dee]

Mr. Kotom will propose Thai-US FTA study to the government

National Economic and Social Advisory Council President Kotom Ariya (โคทม อารียา) will submit his studies on the Thai-US Free Trade Area to the government. He also believes that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s attendance at the meeting will encourage the government to hear suggestions from his council.

The premier has met a new team of the council today, and explained the cooperation between the council and the government to the team members. They have also exchanged ideas between them.

Mr. Kotom, however, would like to see more cooperation from the government, and he has also requested the government to provide more related information to the council.

In regards to Thai-US FTA negotiation, he disclosed that Thailand might lose benefits on the drug patent issue.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 09 Febuary 2006

[Jai Dee]

Thai-US FTA lead negotiator asked HIV/AIDS agencies in Thailand to consider alternatives in rejecting US drugs patents outright

AIDS agencies in Thailand has sought the assistance of the Thai-US FTA lead negotiator regarding the US's medicine patents law, which would increase the cost of anti-HIV medicines and affect the continual development of Thailand's pharmaceutical industry.

Representatives of HIV patients in Thailand had a meeting with Commerce Permanent Secreatry Karun Kittisathaphorn (การุณ กิตติสถาพร) -- the new Thai-US FTA chief negotiator -- to raise their objection against the US's medicine patents law.

The US plans to issue patents on AZT and 3TC anti-retrovirals, which are taken together in a combined dose trademarked "Combivir", for Glaxo Smith Klein Co. Ltd. Reasoning that this kind of medicine has been long manufactured in Thailand, the AIDS groups said the endorsement of the patent would push up the cost of anti-HIV medicines so high that petients might not be able to afford them. They argue that this means a greater number of untimely deaths and an impact on the future of the country's pharmaceutical industrial.

In response to this objection, the new Thai-US FTA chief negotiator proposed other alternatives saying that the group should not overlook other possibilities such as a negotiation with the patented company Glaxo or the Public Health Ministry's subsidization of the ani-HIV drugs.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2006