Civil groups oppose Thai-Japanese FTA signing
30/3/2007 16:36
Civil groups from both Thailand and Japan have protested in various ways
against the upcoming signing of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership
Agreement ( JTEPA).
Several civil society organizations will petition the
Supreme Administrative Court today to temporarily suspend the signing of the
JTEPA, scheduled to take place on next Monday, according to Thai News
Agency.
The groups, led by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Watch group and
Biodiversity and Community Rights Action Thailand (BioThai), had earlier
petitioned the Central Administrative Court, which rejected to accept the case,
citing that the JTEPA signing had nothing to do with the exercise of
administrative authority, according to Witoon Lianchamroon, director of
BioThai.
Meanwhile, 12 academics had submitted an open letter to Prime
Minister Surayud Chulanont, opposing the signing of JTEPA as they viewed the
action as going against the constitution and democratic principles.
One
signatory, Charoen Kampeeraphap, Deputy Dean of Silpakorn University, argued
that the obligation imposed on Thailand by the signing of JTEPA would cause
damage to the country and affect the rights of the people.
He said the
government had earlier brought JTEPA for debate only at the National Legislative
Assembly (NLA), and it would be inappropriate to sign the pact without full
knowledge of the Thai public about the terms.
It also failed to seek the
NLA's approval under the Article 12 of the Constitution. So, the signing of
JTEPA should be considered unlawful, said Charoen.
Meanwhile, a dozen civil
groups in Japan led by Japan Family Farmers Movement and National Coalition of
Workers, Farmers and Consumers for Safe Food and Health, have sent a letter to
the King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej, opposing JTEPA as it "involves big
problems which will bring misery to people in both countries," said the
report.
In the letter faxed to The King's Principal Private Secretary Asa
Sarasin Tuesday, the Japanese groups specifically called on the Thai monarch,
highly revered in the kingdom, to advise the Thai government to reject the
clauses in the JTEPA pact regarding Japan's exporting its industrial wastes to
Thailand for recycling.
This plan, the groups claimed, is to "transform Asia
into dumpsite," and "an indicator of Japanese tyranny as an economic
giant".
They also cautioned that as Japan is currently undertaking EPA
negotiations with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and India, the
agreements, the one to be reached with Thailand and the already-signed one with
the Philippines, will be duplicated in latter agreements.
Xinhua
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