Tuenjai Deetes, an NLA member, said she had not yet seen the full version of the text of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA), which became controversial when a number of non-government organisations opposed an idea to allow the contracting parties to patent micro-organisms - and allow Japan to dump toxic waste in the kingdom.

She said NLA members now are collecting signatures to send a letter to the Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont asking for the issue to be brought back for the consideration of the NLA.

"As the agreement will be internationally binding, we should consider it carefully. The NLA was set up to act as the country's parliament so we should have the chance to see the full version of the text," she said.

The Cabinet on Tuesday resolved in principle to assign the Foreign Ministry to inform the Japanese government that Thailand was ready to sign the JTEPA. The Cabinet claimed that its approval was based on the NLA debate last week when the majority of its members agreed with the agreement.

Surichai Wankaew, another NLA member, said only a few of the 242 members had the chance to see the 942-pages of the agreement.

Tuenjai added that during the debate last week only members who supported the agreement were allowed to share their opinions.

The Cabinet was also attacked by legal experts and civil sectors who yesterday held a press conference to condemn the approval.

Chareon Kampeeraphab, a legal academic from Silpakorn University, said the Surayud government was just an "interim government" that had no legitimacy to make an internationally binding agreement.

"The approval demonstrated an abuse of power of the government," he said during the conference held at the Office of National Human Rights Commission.

Saneh Jamrik, chairman of the commissioners, criticised the Surayud government as acting no differently from an ousted Thaksin government.

"The Surayud government has used the NLA to create an image of transparency, while the government and the NLA are joining hands to legitimise a policy of the Thaksin regime," he said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram will raise Thai concerns over the micro organism patent and toxic waste on the JTEPA when he visits Tokyo next week to mark the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

It remained unclear how the concerns could be put into the text of the drafted agreement and how long it would take to settle the issues of concern, an official said.

Pennapa Hongthong,

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation