*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* { Sila lawat Laman Hizbi-Net - http://www.hizbi.net } { Hantarkan mesej anda ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] } { Iklan barangan? Hantarkan ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] } *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JUN 7, 2000 Pig genes in tomatoes, Thai Muslims warned The imported tomatoes are "genetically modified' and tainted BANGKOK -- Muslims in Thailand have been advised to stop eating imported tomatoes as they are reportedly tainted with pig's genes by farmers using seeds whose genetic structure had been altered. The warning was issued this week to residents in the Muslim-populated southern provinces of Satun and Songkhla by opponents of genetically modified organism (GMO) food ahead of a major protest later this month. A leading anti-GMO campaigner, Mr Chamnong Buanien, has alleged that the gene of the swine was used in the cultivation of tomatoes in certain countries to enhance their glossy appearance and to keep them fresh for a longer period. Mr Buanien, who is a Muslim, has urged fellow believers to abstain from farm products which may have been tampered genetically. Although he did not name the countries, it is believed he was referring to the US where GMO farming is practised. He has called on the Thai government to impose a ruling on the labelling of GMO crops and products derived from their raw materials. Proponents of GMO products claimed that GMO farming was more environmentally-friendly as the introduction of viruses-resistant genes mainly from plants into the seeds has reduced the use of pesticides. But its opponents alleged that original nutrients in food had been replaced by unknown foreign bodies which may be harmful to humans and the ecosystem. Although there are no confirmed cases of people dying from consuming such food, the European Union have banned import of GMO products. The Thai government met recently but failed to reach a clear position. Thailand bans its farms from cultivating GMO crops, but allows the import of GMO raw materials for manufacturing purposes. ""This is a very new area. We don't have a clear policy yet. Even the World Trade Organisation does not have a position,'' Dr Winai Dahlan, who lectures in agricultural studies at Chulalongkorn University, told The Straits Times. He was concerned that tests have shown that animals can absorb the genes from consuming such food. ""Even if we cannot determine the effects of GMO food on humans, it doesn't mean there's no effect... Can the genetic engineers tell which genes are lost and what will happen if those genes are beneficial to humans,'' he said. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( Melanggan ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body : SUBSCRIBE HIZB) ( Berhenti ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body: UNSUBSCRIBE HIZB) ( Segala pendapat yang dikemukakan tidak menggambarkan ) ( pandangan rasmi & bukan tanggungjawab HIZBI-Net ) ( Bermasalah? Sila hubungi [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pengirim: "aziz osman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>