Activists plan to fight for ban on three farm chemicals

BANGKOK, Aug 16 (TNA) – The Biothai, an advocacy group on sustainable agriculture, plans to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the committee on hazardous chemicals for allowing restricted use of three controversial chemicals in farming. Director of Biothai Witoon Lianchamroon said the Biothai and the Foundation for Consumers will file a lawsuit against the committee within two weeks after the committee approved the restricted use of herbicide and pesticides - paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate. He said the approval is not transparent and is not in line with the proposal of the public health reform committee that these are hazardous substances. The committee’s resolution to allow the restricted use of the harmful farm chemicals does not protect people’s heath, he said. The US court's verdict on the case, related to the danger of the chemical substances, complaints from affected villagers and local public health researches will be submitted to the court as evidence to support its claim. The decision of the government agencies such as the Public Health Ministry also suggested the ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos and the restricted use of glyphosate, he said. (TNA)