Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
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Tongan human rights activists have condemned an agreement between the Tongan government and an Australian biotech company, Autogen Ltd., to collect blood samples from the Tongan people. The reported agreement was concluded without any public debate and opens the way for the commercialisation and patenting of the genetic material of indigenous peoples.

The current status of the agreement is unclear. According to the Director of the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement, Lopeti Senituli, I was informed by Tonga Heath officials last year that no agreement was signed with Autogen but we have good reason to suspect that Autogen Ltd could be trying to circumvent the Tongan publicís scrutiny by disguising its genetic research proposal as a public health programme funded by the Australian government.

Mr. Senituli is scheduled to present a paper on the issue at the Australasian Bioethics Association Conference in Adelaide on 14 February. The paper will be jointly presented with Margaret Boyes of Sydney.

Mr. Senituli said, The Tongan people believe that God is the Creator of all living things and therefore all lifeforms should be treated in a way that respects their intrinsic value as living generational manifestations of Creation. The conversion of human lifeforms, their molecules or parts into corporate property, as Autogen is proposing is in direct conflict with our belief in the sanctity of human life.

He also said that the Autogen proposal is the latest phase in the colonization of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific and their resources. Three centuries ago they came for sandalwood. Today the bastards are after our genes.