Premier Thaksin Shinawatra announced last week that Thailand's cabinet 2001 ban on GMO field trials would end despite widespread criticism from the environmental lobby.

Opponents had claimed Thailand had been heavily pressured by American corporate giants like Monsanto, which is pushing to test genetically modified corn strains.

They also said the US government, which launched negotiations on a free trade agreement with Thailand this year, has insisted as part of the talks that Thailand grant intellectual property protection for genetically modified crops.

"The cancellation of the GMO ban was not because of any US senator lobbying. Nobody can lobby me, only the Ministry of Science and Technology lobbied with information," Thaksin told reporters on Monday.

"There were a few people who do not agree and if I feared those people I would not be able to do anything or make any decision. I have to put the national interest as the first priority."

Last month environmental group Greenpeace, a major opponent of genetically modified foods, accused the Thai government of illegally selling seeds from genetically modified papaya fruit after raiding a state-owned farm.

In a statement Monday, Greenpeace said the "rushed" decision by the Thai government was putting the environment and Thai people at risk.

"At a time when the basic principles of genetic engineering are under challenge from new scientific research, the government seems to be deliberately ignoring the warnings of many scientific institutions around the world," it said.

TERRA.WIRE