Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 11:17:03 +0700 From: "Anoop Sukumaran" <anoop@focusweb.org> Subject: [communication 1153] Supniya takes on thaksin's FTA!! To: <communication@wsisasia.org> Message-Id: <010801c46246$ee708200$2101a8c0@anoop> X-Mail-Count: 01153Not one to be intimidated, Supinya has taken her crusade a notch higher =by slamming the Thaksin governments free trade agreement with Australia =as an agreement that is deterimental to Thai farmers and one which =provides immense benfits to Thaksin's telecommunications empire. Under the FTA with Australia, australia will not impose qoutas on the =number of satellites and mobile services, it will permit unlimited =access in Optus and Vodafone.While thailand is to provide reduced tariffs on Dairy, and other exports =form Australia.Criticism of the Thai government's signing of a spate of FTA with a =number of governments has been growing in the past few months. Civil =Society groups like the Thai FTA watch have been strident in their =criticism of the governements, lack of transparency in the negotiations.The government on its part has been using everything at its disposal to =undermine and discredit the growing opposition to the FTA. There were =reports where dairy farmers were pressured not to march to the capital, =The dairy farmers in Thailand are perhaps the ones who will lose the =most from the FTA with Australlia. While the political opposition in the parliament remains divided, =unresponsive and confused, it is the civil society which provides the =only space where the government is effectivley challenged. Go! Supinya! WE are with you.Anoop1153_2.html (attatchment)(tag is disabled)