Watch Thai-US FTA- The 6th round of talks. FTA talks must exclude drug patent

The 6th round of talks between the Thai and US governments will take place in Chiang Mai on January 9th to 11th 2006. It is anticipated that these talks will finalized by mid 2006. TNP+ and it’s civil alliance comprising 10 civil society networks is concerned about how the FTA will negatively impact the agriculture, investment and service industry sectors and how it will affect the public health system. This agreement will lead to a monopoly in the pharmaceutical and agriculture industries resulting in Thailand’s poor facing higher drug prices and making access to medication more difficult. Farmers face losing their livelihood if they are unable to produce their crops or if they are no longer able to profit from them. The FTA’s preference for privatization will make essential services more expensive and Thai’s will have no choice but to pay increased prices for basic services.

All over the world it is clear that drug patents make medicine more expensive and directly affects those people suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS. In Chiang Mai, FTA discussions will include IPR. Previous US FTA agreements with Singapore and Australia required these countries to change their IPR laws in order to extend the patent period on drugs from 20 years to 25 years. This allows one company to maintain a monopoly and control drug prices resulting in people paying more for essential medicines.

In the name of TNP+ and the network of NGOs, we believe that all people have the right to access healthcare, however the health care system cannot exist if it does not have self reliance and are able to produce generic drugs. We propose that our government:
1.	Take IPR out of multi lateral and bilateral FTA talks
2.	Consumer protection must be respected and serious consideration given to compulsory licensing in order to produce generic medication and parallel importing for those drugs that we cannot produce. This will ensure an affordable supply of medication for illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS.
3.	Independent mechanisms for drug quality and price control
4.	To integrate all existing health schemes into one universal health care scheme to extend the benefit for all and to ensure fairness.
5.	Support research and development into essential new drugs

For solidarity and to support the movement, TNP+ and their alliance would like to invite activists working on access to treatment all over the world to express their power by presenting this letter to the Thai embassy in their respective country and to protest in front of the Thai embassy on the 9th January. 

With solidarity, TNP+ and the Thai NGOs coalition on HIV/AIDS

contact +(66) 01289 3505 or brigitte@thaiplus.net .

Brigitte Tenni
TNP+  Bangkok