Activists prompt GMO probe

by Sirinart Sirisunthorn and Dussadee Ngarmlua
The Nation, 4 Aug 2004

The agriculture Department yesterday ordered a halt to the 
distribution of  papaya seeds from its research station in 
Khon Kaen (Thailand) in an effort to disprove claims by 
environmentalists that genetically modified papaya seeds
 slipped through to farmers.

Chakan Saengraksawong, the directorgeneral of the department, 
said the halt would allow his department to investigate 
whether farmers possessed genetically modified papaya seeds, 
as alleged by Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

Last week, Greenpeace raided and destroyed plants on an 
experimental papaya plantation at the Khon Kaen station. 
The organisation then accused the station of distributing 
GMO papaya seeds to farmers. Some nongovernmental 
organisations threatened to sue over the alleged distribution.

The station is the largest supplier of the popular Khaek Dam 
Thaphra strain of papaya seeds.

Chakan insisted yesterday that while his station was 
researching GMO papaya, it had not distributed any GMO 
seeds.

"So, current distribution has to be stopped to check whether 
GMO seeds have really slipped out as some have alleged," Chakan 
said.

He said farmers who suspected their papaya came from GMO seeds 
could alert his department, which would check and then confirm 
where the seeds 
originated.

Turning the tables, Chakan said he suspected Greenpeace Southeast 
Asia of allowing GMOs out of the research station. "That day, 
when Greenpeace raided the station, its staff took some papaya 
fruit with them," he said, adding that the station would continue 
experimenting with GMO papaya.