'전방위 압력' , '압박 수비'란 건 바로 이런걸 말하는 것 같다.
알면 알수록 대단하고 무섭다.
| [펌] 미국, WHO에 주 태국 대표를 교체하도록 압력을 가함. |
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태국에 주재하는 WHO의 대표 William Aldis가 지난 1월에 Bangkok Post라는 신문과의 인터뷰에서, 미-태국의 FTA의 강화된 지재권으로 인해 태국 국민들이 제너릭 의약품을 사먹을 수 없게 될 수도 있을것이라고 경고했다. 그는 또한 HIV 치료제가 극히 비싸질 것이라고도 했는데, 이는 당시 6차 미-태국 fta 협상 기간에 보도되었다.
지난 3월, WHO의 전 사무총장이었던 이종욱 총장은 Aldins를 뉴델리의 연구직으로 전보시켰다.
지난 토요일 Asia Times Online website에서는 그의 전근에 대한 탐사보도를 했는데, 태국의 WHO 대표를 바꾼 배후에는 이 국제기구에 대한 미국의 강력한 영향력 행사가 있었다고 한다.
그 기사에 의하면, 지난 3월 23일 미국의 UN대사가 Mr. Aldis의 기사에 대한 미국의 불만을 표시하기 위해 제네바를 찾아와 이종욱 총장을 개인 면담한지 얼마 안되어 Mr Aldis의 전보 발령이 이루어졌다고 한다.
미국 정부는 WHO 관리들이 '중립적이고 객관적인 태도를 견지하도록' 요구했다고 한다.
- 중략 -
태국의 FTA Watch라는 단체는 WHO에 압력을 가하는 미국을 규탄하는 성명을 냈다.
이 성명에서, WHO는 태도를 바꿔 워싱턴의 영향력에서 벗어날 것을 촉구했고, 또 WHO가 영향력이 큰 국가에게 굴복한다면, 어떻게 공공의료를 통한 고른 치료를 받을 권리를 보호할 수 있겠는지 물었다.
그리고 개도국 국민을 보호하기 위해 용감하게 행동한 WHO 관리들의 표현의 자유를 존중하도록 요구했다.
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The Bangkok Post
June 20 2006
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Jun2006_news03.php
STRING PULLING / ALDIS WARNED AGAINST THAI-US FREE TRADE PACT
US 'behind' WHO official's ouster
POST REPORTERS
Washington was behind the abrupt removal of a World Health Organisation representative to Thailand after he wrote of possible adverse impacts to Thailand of a free trade agreement with the US, a source said yesterday.
In an article published in the Bangkok Post on Jan 9, William Aldis urged
Thailand to think carefully before inking the FTA pact with the US, saying
that restrictive intellectual property rights under the bilateral trade
agreement would prevent Thailand from using affordable locally produced
generic drugs.
He said anti-viral HIV drugs would be extremely expensive after the FTA
went into force.
The critical piece was published as the sixth round of Thai-US FTA
negotiations took place in Chiang Mai.
In March, the late WHO director-general Lee Jong-wook decided to transfer Mr Aldis to a research position in New Delhi.
The Asia Times Online website ran an investigative report about the
transfer of Mr Aldis on Saturday.
The report said the removal of the WHO representative reflected powerful US influence on the international body.
The report quotes an unnamed WHO source as saying Lee decided to recall Mr Aldis shortly after a US ambassador to the UN in Geneva paid a private visit to Lee on March 23 to express Washington's displeasure with Mr Aldis' article in the Bangkok Post.
The US government also asked Lee to remind senior WHO officials to "remain neutral and objective", it said.
The report said Suwit Wibulpolprasert, a senior adviser to the Public
Health Ministry, had sent a letter to WHO headquarters earlier this month
requesting an explanation for the abrupt removal of Mr Aldis.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post, the current WHO representative to Thailand, P.T. Jayawickramarajah, who succeeded Mr Aldis, declined to
comment on the transfer, saying the rotation of staff was conducted on a
regular basis.
"I don't know about the reason behind the abrupt removal of Mr Aldis," Mr Jayawickramarajah said yesterday.
"According to the employment contract, WHO officials can be assigned to any place in the world and we have to follow the instructions. I don't think
that Mr Aldis would be shocked," he added.
Reports about US influence on the WHO would not affect his freedom to
express an opinion, he added.
FTAWatch, a group campaigning against Thailand's free trade agreements, yesterday issued a statement condemning the US government's alleged intervention in WHO affairs.
The group called on the WHO to "revise its position and liberate the
organisation from Washington's influence".
"How can the WHO protect the rights of the people to fair public health
care if the organisation surrenders to an influential nation?" the group
said in the statement.
FTAWatch called on the WHO to "protect the freedom of expression" of its officials who bravely act to protect the interest of developing countries.
--
Asia Russell
Health GAP
asia@healthgap.org
tel +1 267 475 2645
http://www.healthgap.org
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