Thai protesters see red in Asean trade plan

The Thai government move to permit free trade in sectors like farming, forestry and fishery as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Comprehensive Investment Agreement, has triggered widespread protests in the country. Submitting their protest petition on Wednesday, a group of twenty activists has made their stand clear on the issue. Highlighting the plight of local farmers, the petition requests Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to refrain from endorsing the free trade plan at the Asean summit to be held this weekend. 

The entry of foreign investors in these three sectors is sure to deprive the local farmers of their livelihood as the major chunk of their income comes from naturally available resources. Certain other activist groups had already submitted their petitions seeking the government not to lift the existing regulation that limits foreign investment in specialised areas such as growing of timber, culture of aquatic animals and cultivation of medicinal herbs.  
 

Mr Veerapong Kriangsinyot, the leader of the protesting activists accused the government of illegally selling natural resources and procuring intellectual properties much before the official formalisation of the Asean free trade. The domestic food resources and herbal medicine development sectors are sure to suffer the most in the face of the stiff competition from foreign investors, once the government sanctions free trade in these areas. 
 

The Office of Agricultural Economics has rung the alarm signal by declaring that Asean free trade agreement, if permitted, will wreck the Thai palm oil industry. The price of the local palm fruit is likely to fall down and will have adverse effect on the economy of 120,000 palm growing households. The deep fall in palm oil price will also cast its shadow over palm oil factories and refineries, which are expected to have 35%, shrink in their income. The unemployment crisis that follows the closure of such factories will only worsen the situation.