COMMERCE / FREE TRADE DEAL WITH JAPAN

Court rejects FTA bar appeal

PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN

The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday rejected an appeal from activists seeking to prevent the signing of a Thai-Japanese free trade agreement by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont in Tokyo on Tuesday. The court used the same reason as the Central Administrative Court did on Thursday. It said it is not empowered to decide on the issue because it is not an administrative case.

Saree Ongsomwang from the Foundation for Consumers said the free trade agreement plan had not undergone a public hearing as required by a cabinet resolution on Dec 19 last year.

Lawyer Nitithorn Lamlua said a seminar on the Thai-Japanese free trade agreement at Chulalongkorn University on Dec 12 could not be considered a hearing, as the government had argued, because only 11% of participants voiced their opinions.

Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Krit Garnjana-goonchorn said Gen Surayud would sign the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement on Tuesday. He said the agreement had been carefully prepared. Care would be taken with the agreement's provisions relating to hazardous imports from Japan and Thailand's intellectual property on micro-organisms, he said.

Bangkok Post

Saturday March 31, 2007