New Zealand Calls Off Free Trade Deal W/ Thailand

No free trade deal with Thailand plead Greens

The [New Zealand] Government should call off free trade negotiations with Thailand until the Thai government ratified international labour and human rights conventions, Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said yesterday.

He said New Zealand negotiators were in Thailand this week to pursue a closer economic partnership agreement.

This was despite objections to any deal by the Green Party, Council of Trade Unions, Forest and Bird and other organisations in submissions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, he said.

"It's unconscionable that the Labour Government would open up New Zealand's borders to a country that doesn't respect basic human rights and working conditions," Mr Donald said.

New Zealand should not enter into trade agreements with countries that have not ratified nor enforced core international labour conventions, he said.

Thailand had not ratified four of the eight core International Labour Organisation labour conventions.

"More than 500,000 13-14-year-olds are known to be working while an additional 1,500,000 children aged six to 14 are not registered in schools, with many of them working illegally."

Thailand clinched a free trade deal in principle with Australia last year.

--Agencies 2004-03-23