Hostage in Thailand - A Novel Approach to Patent Breaking

First, a tip-of-the-hat to Geezer for pointing this out to me. A Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, special advisor to the Minister for Public Health, has come up with an interesting idea: If Thailand doesn't receive flu vaccines, part of what is likely to happen because of the Thai government's policy on pharmaceutical patent breaking, then just hold foreign nationals hostage until they do receive them.

Now that's an idea . . . Hey! I can think of worse things that could happen. If Thailand really decides to do something like that, they don't have to hold me hostage. I volunteer!

This is being discussed on Thaivisa.com ( see http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=110793 )

The article appears in the WALL STREET JOURNAL ( http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?m...ain_europe_asia )

And here it is:

_____

Time for a Thai Apology

March 13, 2007

It turns out we're not the only ones concerned about Thailand's radical statements in the halls of the World Health Organization. The U.S. government has now lodged a formal protest with Bangkok, requesting an apology for Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert's call to seize foreign nationals in the event of an influenza outbreak. The good doctor proposed holding Western tourists hostage until Bangkok received needed flu vaccines.

Dr. Suwit's comments at the WHO's January executive board meeting in Geneva "appear to contravene the spirit and provisions of the revised International Health Regulations," Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt wrote in a letter dated March 7, referring to the WHO's rules on how countries cooperate to curb the international spread of diseases. "Voicing support for these counterproductive policies at a multilateral, intergovernmental meeting...can impair global influenza preparedness efforts."

This isn't the only bad public-health idea Dr. Suwit has supported. As a special adviser to the Minister for Public Health, he was an important voice advocating the government's recent seizure of foreign drug company patents. As Ronald Cass explains, that decision could potentially undermine a carefully struck balance between protection of private property and provision of emergency drugs in times of crisis. The implications stretch far beyond Thailand's shores.

The military government in Bangkok isn't accountable to the Thai people through elections, and neither are their political appointees. Thais deserve more eloquent and enlightened representation in the WHO.