/Users/andrea/_magisterarbeit/korpus/clean/trainkorpus/34/file_81j.html NN ----------------------------------------- : Subject NN . SENT Bt NN cotton NN . SENT open JJ letter NN from IN Thailand NP Date NN . SENT Sat VVN , , 25 CD Sep NN 1999 CD 22 CD . SENT 22 CD . SENT 02 CD 0400 CD Open NP Letter NP To TO . SENT International JJ Non JJ governmental JJ organisations NNS , , media NNS persons NNS , , and CC concerned JJ individuals NNS From IN . SENT Biothai NP , , Thailand NP Monsanto's NP Bt NN Cotton NP violates VVZ Thai NP plant NN quarantine NN laws NNS and CC farmer's NNS rights NNS Bangkok NP , , 26 CD September NP 1999 CD The DT large JJ USA NP based VVN agribusiness NN transnational JJ , , Monsanto NP Company NP , , has VHZ been VBN introducing VVG genetically RB modified VVN GM NP cotton NN seeds NNS having VHG genes NNS from IN the DT Bt NN bacteria NNS which WDT can MD kill VV some DT crop NN pests NNS . SENT The DT Bt NN cottonseeds NNS are VBP being VBG planted VVN in IN fields NNS in IN some DT provinces NNS in IN total JJ violation NN of IN Thailand's NP agricultural JJ and CC plant NN quarantine NN laws NNS and CC without IN concern NN for IN biosafety NN measures NNS . SENT The DT Bt NN cotton NN is VBZ listed VVN in IN the DT quarantine NN list NN of IN GM NP plants NNS that WDT require VVP biosafety NN testing NN before IN release NN to TO farmer's NN fields NNS under IN Thailand's NP Plant NP Quarantine NN Law NN of IN 1964 CD amended VVD 1994 CD . SENT The DT process NN of IN biosafety NN testing NN of IN the DT Bt NN cotton NN seeds NNS has VHZ generated VVN controversy NN in IN Thailand NP because IN of IN the DT potential JJ environmental JJ and CC health NN impacts NNS . SENT Field NN trials NNS in IN other JJ countries NNS even RB in IN the DT USA NP point NN to TO the DT negative JJ impacts NNS of IN GM NP crops NNS on IN the DT environment NN and CC farmers NNS . SENT In IN 1995 CD , , the DT Agriculture NP Ministry NP established VVD the DT Committee NP for IN Biosafety NP to TO investigate VV the DT environmental JJ impacts NNS of IN Monsanto NP Bt NN cotton NN . SENT However RB , , the DT neutrality NN of IN the DT committee's JJ work NN is VBZ under IN question NN since IN it PP comprises VVZ three CD members NNS of IN Monsanto NP Thailand NP . SENT senior JJ officials NNS in IN the DT Ministry NP of IN Agriculture NP MoA NN also RB maintain VVP close JJ links NNS with IN the DT company NN . SENT The DT Committee NP was VBD set VVN up RP to TO facilitate VV the DT approval NN of IN the DT biosafety NN trials NNS for IN Bt NN Cotton NN . SENT But CC the DT committee's JJ biosafety NN trials NNS are VBP ongoing JJ and CC have VHP not RB concluded VVN that IN Bt NN cotton NN is VBZ safe JJ and CC can MD be VB introduced VVN on IN a DT larger JJR scale NN in IN the DT fields NNS of IN farmers NNS . SENT Meanwhile RB , , Monsanto NP has VHZ poured VVN a DT huge JJ amount NN of IN money NN into IN public JJ relations NNS by IN running VVG a DT series NN of IN full JJ page NN advertisements NNS or CC special JJ sections NNS in IN Thai NP newspapers NNS about IN the DT miracle NN of IN GM NP crops NNS . SENT These DT advertisements NNS , , disguised VVN as IN newspaper NN articles NNS , , appear VVP as IN a DT special JJ issue NN of IN the DT newspapers NNS claiming VVG that IN GM NP crops NNS and CC technology NN would MD help VV alleviate VV the DT economic JJ crisis NN in IN Thailand NP . SENT The DT advertisements NNS selectively RB quote VVP leading VVG Thai NP scientists NNS as IN stating VVG that DT GMs NNS are VBP necessary JJ to TO increase VV food NN yields NNS and CC decrease VV pesticide NN use NN . SENT However RB , , they PP do VVP not RB mention VV the DT various JJ harmful JJ effects NNS associated VVN with IN GM NP crops NNS . SENT As IN part NN of IN their PP$ aggressive JJ lobby NN and CC public JJ relations NNS work NN , , Monsanto NP has VHZ also RB conducted VVN several JJ meetings NNS with IN local JJ farmer's NNS groups NNS and CC some DT agricultural JJ associations NNS to TO introduce VV the DT Bt NN cotton NN . SENT Monsanto NP is VBZ the DT only JJ company NN that WDT imports VVZ the DT Bt NN cotton NN seeds NNS into IN the DT country NN and CC also RB distributes VVZ to TO the DT members NNS of IN the DT Thai NP Cotton NP Industry NP Association NP . SENT In IN mid JJ September NP , , the DT Monsanto NP representative NN from IN their PP$ head NN office NN in IN St NP . SENT Louis NP , , USA NP also RB met VVD with IN Mr NP . SENT Pongpol NP Adireksarn NP , , Minister NP of IN Agriculture NP , , and CC Mr NP . SENT Newin NP Chidchob NP , , deputy JJ minister NN of IN Agriculture NP , , to TO lobby VV the DT Ministry NP to TO remove VV Bt NN cotton NN from IN the DT GM NP plant NN quarantine NN list NN . SENT Farmer's NP groups NNS have VHP been VBN concerned VVN about IN the DT potential JJ dangers NNS to TO health NN , , local JJ crops NNS , , farming VVG livelihoods NNS and CC the DT natural JJ environment NN caused VVN by IN the DT GM NP crops NNS . SENT Farmer's NP groups NNS are VBP also RB concerned VVN the DT GM NP crops NNS will MD require VV intensive JJ use NN of IN specific JJ pesticides NNS particularly RB Round NP Up NP produced VVD by IN Monsanto NP . SENT During IN August NP and CC September NP 1999 CD , , farmer's NNS groups NNS have VHP been VBN monitoring VVG the DT planting NN of IN cotton NN in IN several JJ areas NNS including VVG two CD provinces NNS in IN the DT central JJ region NN , , two CD provinces NNS in IN the DT northeast NN , , and CC one CD province NN in IN the DT north NN of IN Thailand NP . SENT Farmer's NP groups NNS informed VVD Biothai NP that IN a DT local JJ company NN had VHD leased VVN fields NNS to TO plant VV cotton NN early RB this DT year NN . SENT In IN September NP , , farmer's NN groups NNS provided VVD Biothai NP with IN two CD cotton NN crop NN samples NNS from IN a DT location NN that IN cannot NN be VB disclosed VVN . SENT The DT samples NNS were VBD taken VVN on IN the DT suspicion NN that IN the DT seeds NNS are VBP Bt NN cotton NN . SENT The DT samples NNS were VBD sent VVN to TO the DT DNA NP Technology NP Laboratory NP in IN the DT Kasetsart NP University NP in IN Nakhon NP Pathom NP , , to TO test VV for IN the DT presence NN of IN Bt NN genes NNS . SENT The DT samples NNS , , tested VVN by IN the DT Polymerase NN Chain NP Reaction NN PCR NP technique NN that WDT detects VVZ for IN the DT DNA NP fingerprint NN , , produced VVD the DT positive JJ results NNS for IN the DT Bt NN gene NN . SENT The DT evidence NN clearly RB points VVZ to TO the DT company's JJ contempt NN for IN Thai NP laws NNS and CC sovereignty NN by IN Monsanto NP . SENT Monsanto's NP agribusiness NN practices NNS are VBP illegal JJ and CC a DT violation NN of IN the DT rights NNS of IN farmers NNS all RB over IN the DT world NN . SENT Monsanto's NP Bt NN cotton NN will MD lead VV to TO the DT destruction NN of IN traditional JJ cotton NN varieties NNS and CC undermine VV the DT rights NNS of IN Thai NP farmers NNS to TO select VV , , breed NN and CC plant NN crops NNS suitable JJ for IN their PP$ specific JJ ecosystems NNS and CC local JJ economies NNS . SENT By IN planting VVG Bt NN cotton NN , , Monsanto NP has VHZ posed VVN severe JJ and CC potentially RB irreversible JJ damage NN to TO the DT health NN and CC natural JJ ecosystems NNS of IN hundreds NNS of IN thousands NNS of IN farming NN communities NNS all RB over IN Thailand NP . SENT Monsanto NP has VHZ to TO take VV complete JJ responsibility NN for IN their PP$ actions NNS that WDT contravene VV the DT laws NNS , , farmer's NNS rights NNS , , and CC the DT health NN of IN the DT natural JJ environment NN of IN Thailand NP . SENT Biothai NP along RB with IN environmental JJ , , public JJ health NN and CC consumer NN rights NNS protection NN organisations NNS call VVP on IN the DT government NN to TO set VV up RP a DT National NP Committee NP to TO investigate VV the DT legal JJ violations NNS of IN Monsanto NP as RB well RB as IN government NN agencies NNS responsible JJ for IN monitoring VVG the DT spread NN of IN GM NP crops NNS . SENT We PP call VVP for IN legal JJ action NN against IN the DT Monsanto NP Corporation NP for IN posing VVG severe JJ long JJ term NN threats NNS to TO the DT natural JJ environment NN and CC farming NN ecosystems NNS by IN the DT Bt NN cotton NN crop NN . SENT We PP call VVP on IN the DT government NN to TO halt VV the DT biosafety NN trials NNS of IN GM NP crops NNS belonging VVG not RB only RB to TO Monsanto NP but CC also RB of IN Pioneer NP Hybrid NN , , Novartis NP , , and CC Cargill NP companies NNS . SENT The DT network NN of IN farmer's NNS groups NNS in IN Thailand NP will MD join VV hands NNS in IN an DT international JJ alliance NN with IN farmer's NNS and CC non JJ governmental JJ organisations NNS all RB over IN the DT world NN to TO fight VV against IN the DT imposing VVG of IN GM NP crops NNS by IN agribusiness NN TNCs NNS . SENT NOTE NN . SENT On IN 28 CD September NP , , the DT country NN wide JJ coalition NN of IN farmer's NN groups NNS and CC non JJ governmental JJ organisations NNS will MD hold VV a DT protest NN in IN front NN of IN Government NP House NP in IN Bangkok NP to TO oppose VV the DT introduction NN of IN GMO NP crops NNS into IN Thailand NP . SENT SIGNED VVD . SENT Biothai NP Alternative NP Agriculture NP Network NP Foundation NP for IN Consumers NP Greennet NP Foundation NP for IN Thai NP Holistic JJ Health NP