The Ralph Boyce Scandal

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BANGKOK POST

December 15, 2006

HEALTH

Calls for probe into US-Thai tobacco meet

APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/15Dec2006_news90.php

Two US congressmen have asked for an inquiry into US ambassador Ralph Boyce for possible violation of an amendment prohibiting US officials from promoting the sale of tobacco products, a Thai health activist said yesterday. Hatai Chitanondh, president of the Health Promotion Institute under the National Health Foundation, said California and Texas representatives Henry Waxman and Lloyd Doggett submitted their request to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Dec 5.

The congressmen questioned Mr Boyce's coordinating of a meeting of US industry representatives, including that of Philip Morris, with Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat in August, according to copies of a letter Dr Hatai circulated to the media.

The congressmen quoted the Thai media as saying the meeting was to protest advertising restrictions on cigarettes. However, the US congressmen expressed concern that it may have ''contravened'' the Doggett Amendment _ which prohibits key government agencies from promoting the sale of tobacco products overseas, or working to reduce other countries' non-discriminatory tobacco control regulations.

The congressmen asked Ms Rice for an account of the August meeting and her ''understanding'' of whether it complied with the Doggett Amendment.

US embassy officials in Bangkok could not be reached for comment yesterday.

After the meeting in August, Mr Phinij said tobacco companies demanded the ministry's advertising controls be equally imposed on all forms of tobacco products. They complained that cigars and pipe tobacco were not subject to the same ad controls as cigarettes.

Ambassador Boyce at the time said the ''negotiation'' marked the first of its kind in 15 years and expressed hope that there would be more opportunities for the two sides to work together in the future.

Subsequently, Dr Hatai said the move reflected the ambassador's strong support for the liquor and tobacco industries, despite US government policy prohibiting US embassies worldwide from supporting liquor and tobacco businesses.

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Bangkok Post, December 16, 2006

THAI-US POLITICS / TOP-LEVEL TOBACCO MEETING

Boyce not queried by DC yet

APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL

The US secretary of state has not yet requested the US ambassador to report on his recent coordination of a meeting between US tobacco and alcohol giants and the former Thai health minister, a US official said yesterday.

The US official, who asked not to be named, said in an interview with the Bangkok Post that the US embassy in Thailand had not received any inquiry from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to report on US ambassador Ralph Boyce's role in the August meeting.

The US official insisted that the envoy was ''mindful'' of the Doggett Amendment and that the meeting was fully compliant with US law.

Different opinions on the meeting were possible but these would not affect US policy, and meetings with Thai officials would still take place on a case-by-case basis, the official said.

Ambassador Boyce coordinated the meeting between representatives of the tobacco and alcohol industries with health minister Phinij Jarusombat that was seen as an attempt by the companies to protest advertising restrictions on cigarettes.

California and Texas congressmen Henry Waxman and Lloyd Doggett on Dec 5 sent a letter to Ms Rice asking for an account of the meeting and her ''understanding'' of whether it complied with the Doggett Amendment.

They expressed concern that it may have contravened the law which prohibits government agencies from promoting the sale of tobacco products overseas or working to reduce other countries' non-discriminatory tobacco control regulations

Nithat Sirichotiratana, of Mahidol University's faculty of public health, urged public health officials to closely monitor the Thai-US free trade agreement and call for the withdrawal of tobacco and alcohol from any future trade negotiations.