Local activists Thursday protested in front of the foreign ministry, demanding greater public participation in free trade talks with the United States, witnesses said, The Nation reports.
About 30 activists carried coffins and funeral wreaths to the foreign ministry, where they submitted a letter to a ministry official asking the government to consider their demands.
The activists from Free Trade Watch -- formed in 2003 by activists, academics and non-governmental ogranisations to push for greater public involvement in Thailand's free trade agreements -- asked the government to hold public meetings on the talks.
They also want the government to hold a referendum on the deal, the group said in a flyer distributed at the protest.
The group urged Thai negotiators to reject US demands for stringent protection for intellectual property rights that surpass the requirements of the World Trade Organisation.
They also cited concerns over drug patent protection, which the activists fear would strip Thais of access to affordable pharmaceuticals.
The next round of talks opens Monday in the resort town of Pattaya.Thai Press Reports
