Eubios Journal of Asian andInternational Bioethics
EJAIB Vol 15 (4) July 2005 ISSN 1173-2571
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Official Journal of the Asian Bioethics Association (ABA) and the IUBS Bioethics Program
Meeting cosponsored by UNESCO and Eubios Ethics Institute(with support for the bioethics textbook project from
Sasagawa Peace Foundation).
Special issue of Eubios Journal of Asian and International
Bioethics 15 (July 2005), pp. 101-152.

First UNESCO Bangkok Bioethics
Roundtable (BBRT1) Abstracts
Date: 11-15 September 2005
Venue: Imperial Tara Hotel, Bangkok
Background
The purpose of this meeting is to engage in an interactive
dialogue over the priorities for bioethics and ethics of scienceand technology in Asia and the Pacific, with global
implications. How can we apply bioethics declarations andinternational agreements to enhance the realities ofcommunities across a divided and diverse world? As wedevelop networks of researchers and policymakers we arebringing together persons from over 30 countries and a wide
range of specialties for this roundtable as a further step in thereflection and action on ethics of science and technology.
Secretariat
Darryl Macer, Ph.D.,
Regional Advisor in Social and Human Sciences for Asia andthe Pacific, a.i.
Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and thePacific (RUSHSAP), UNESCO Bangkok,
920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Bangkok 10110,
THAILAND
Tel: +66-2-391-0577 ext 141
Fax: +66-2-391-0866
Email: d.macer@unescobkk.org

Sunday, 11 September
1. Opening and UNESCO Ethics Programmes
Welcome
Sheldon Shaeffer, Director
UNESCO Bangkok
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) was founded for the purpose ofpromoting international peace through its programmes in thefields of Education, Science, Culture, and Communication.
This year is the 60th anniversary of
UNESCO. An
introduction to some of the activities of the Asia-PacificRegional Bureau for Education, UNESCO Bangkok, will begiven.
UNESCO is beginning to celebrate its 60th anniversary
this week. This celebration will, in fact, run for the next 60
weeks, from now until 4 November 2006. This 60-weekformat is designed to allow UNESCO to highlight one of its
critical themes each week.
Our newest mandate is the “Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development.” I like to think of ESD as aframework encompassing all of UNESCO’s education work:
EFA, Secondary Education, Technical Vocational Educationand Higher Education, Citizenship Education, Peace
Education, Distance Education, etc. Each of these will behighlighted during one of the 60 weeks of the celebration.
Other weeks will focus on UNESCO’s work on Human
Rights, Cultural Diversity, HIV/AIDS, Bioethics, Human
Security, Social Transformations, World Heritage Sites andthe Preservation of Intangible Heritage, to name just a few.
UNESCO was officially founded on 16 November 1945
in the aftermath of the “great and terrible war”…the war that
could never be allowed to be repeated. It was founded to“create a culture of peace in the minds of men.” It has striven,
for the last 60 years to accomplish this by exercising,activating and augmenting the educational, scientific andcultural relations of the peoples of the entire world.

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For 60 years, UNESCO has sought• To Promote universal literacy and equal access to
education;• To Promote the free flow of ideas and universal access to
information;• To Promote the expression of pluralism and cultural
diversity in the media and in world information networks;
It has striven• To Ensure access for all to information andcommunication technologies;• To Safeguard cultural diversity and encourage dialogue
among cultures and civilizations;• To Promote education as a basic human right;• To Improve the quality of education for all;
• To Promote innovation and policy dialogue in education;• To Promote the drafting and implementation of standardsetting instruments regarding cultural heritage;• To Promote principles and ethical norms to guidescientific and technological development, and socialtransformation;• To Improve human security by better management of theenvironment and social change;• To Enhance scientific, technical and human capacities toparticipate in the emerging knowledge societies; and• To Enhance the linkages between culture anddevelopment through capacity-building and the sharing of
knowledge.
For 60 years, UNESCO’s mandate has been broad; it has
encompassed many programmes, projects and initiatives.
Progress has been made; but there remains a lot to be done;
our work is not finished.
I welcome each of you to join us, to follow along andparticipate in our 60-week long 60th anniversary celebration.
We hope that over the course of this jubilee we will be able toput renewed focus on the diverse and important work that
UNESCO is, and has been, engaged in for its first 60 years.
The UNESCO Bangkok office is the largest UNESCO
branch office in the Asia-Pacific Region, which for UNESCO
includes 46 member countries from Turkey in the West to
Japan in the East and New Zealand and 17 Pacific Island
nations to the South. It is designated as the coordinating office
for implementation of the UNESCO programmes on ethics ofscience. This includes ethics teaching programs,
implementing the Decade of Eduication for Sustainable
Development (ESD) and increasing national and regional
implementation of UNESCO declarations on bioethics, aswell as the activities of the UNESCO International Bioethics
Committee (IBC), the UNESCO Intergovernmental Bioethics
Committee (IGBC) and the World Commission on Ethics ofScience and Technology (COMEST).
Overview of UNESCO Ethics
Darryl Macer, Ph.D.,
Regional Advisor in Social and Human Sciences for Asia andthe Pacific a.i.
Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and thePacific (RUSHSAP), UNESCO Bangkok, Thailandd.macer@unescobkk.org
In pursuit of the UNESCO mandate, the Sector for Socialand Human Sciences seeks to advance knowledge, standards
and intellectual cooperation in order to facilitate socialtransformations where the values of justice, freedom andhuman dignity can be fully realized. The Sector’s task is to

study what is, to anticipate what could be, and to determine
what should be, in order to reduce the gap between what is
and what should be.
The Sector’s Programme on the Ethics of Science andTechnology, being one of UNESCO’s five priority areas, isdesigned to ensure that the world remains secure for everyone
by placing the ongoing revolutionary scientific andtechnological progress within a context of ethical reflection
rooted in the cultural, legal, philosophical and religious
heritage of the various human communities. This programme
covers two primary areas of ethical reflection: bioethics,
addressing concerns stemming from advances in life sciences;and ethics of science and technology, addressing other areasof applied ethics in relation to scientific and social
developments.
In order to more effectively implement ethics andbioethics activities the networking and partnership building
across the region, with global assistance and cooperation,must be improved. This meeting follows up earlier
consultations and meetings on these topics in Bangkok, andsignals an increase in activities in ethics in the region.
The UNESCO Bioethics Programme was created in 1993
and has been a principal priority of UNESCO since 2002. Its
first major success was in 1997, when the General Conference
adopted the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome andHuman Rights, the only international instrument in the field ofbioethics, which was endorsed by the United Nations General
Assembly in 1998.
The Bioethics Programme is part of UNESCO’s Divisionof the Ethics of Science and Technology in the Social and
Human Sciences Sector. It acts as the Secretariat of two
advisory bodies: the International Bioethics Committee (IBC),
composed of 36 independent experts, and theIntergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC), composed ofrepresentatives of 36 Member States. These Committees
cooperate to produce advice, recommendations and proposals
that each submits to the Director-General for consideration by
UNESCO’s governing bodies.
The International Bioethics Committee (IBC) is a body of
36 independent experts that follows progress in the life
sciences and its applications in order to ensure respect forhuman dignity and freedom. It was created in 1993. The IBC
provides a global forum for in-depth bioethical reflection by
exposing the issues at stake. It does not pass judgment on one
position or another. Instead, it is up to each country,
particularly lawmakers, to reflect societal choices within theframework of national legislation and to decide between the
different positions. The tasks of the IBC include:
1. To promote reflection on the ethical and legal issues
raised by research in the life sciences and their applications
and to encourage the exchange of ideas and information,
particularly through education;
2. To encourage action to heighten awareness among thegeneral public, specialized groups and public and private
decision-makers involved in bioethics;
3. To co-operate with the international governmental andnon-governmental organizations concerned by the issues
raised in the field of bioethics as well as with the national andregional bioethics committees and similar bodies;
4. (i) To contribute to the dissemination of the principles
set out in the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome
and Human Rights, and to the further examination of issues
raised by their applications and by the evolution of thetechnologies in question;

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

103(ii) to organize appropriate consultations withstakeholders;(iii) to make recommendations addressed to the General
Conference, to give advice concerning the follow-up of the
Declaration, and to identify practices that could be contrary tohuman dignity.
Since 1998, the IBC has had Statutes defining its mandate,composition, etc. The Director-General of UNESCO convenes
the IBC at least once a year. Through its sessions and working
groups, the Committee produces advice and recommendations
on specific issues that are adopted by consensus and arewidely disseminated and submitted to the Director-Generalfor transmission to the Member States, the Executive Boardand the General Conference. The Director-General appoints
the IBC's 36 members to serve in their personal capacities forfour-year terms. The selection is made taking into accountcultural diversity, balanced geographical representation andnominations from some States of qualified specialists in thelife sciences and in the social and human sciences, including
law, human rights, philosophy, education and communication.
The Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC) was
created in 1998, under Article 11 of the Statutes of the IBC(International Bioethics Committee). It is comprised of 36
Member States whose representatives meet at least once every
two years to examine the advice and recommendations of the
IBC. It informs the IBC of its opinions and submits these
opinions along with proposals for follow-up of the IBC's work
to the Director-General for transmission to Member States,
the Executive Board and the General Conference. The 36
Member States are elected by UNESCO's General Conference
taking into account cultural diversity and balanced
geographical representation. Members serve for terms of
about four years, from the end of the ordinary session of theGeneral Conference in which they are elected until the end of
the second subsequent ordinary session.

prospective experts not already in the combined database.
This work is ongoing for the region.
•
Many responses have been received. Peer review
meetings are held at Headquarters to determine whether or not,according to the agreed criteria, the individuals who
responded are experts and therefore to be included in the GEO
database.
•
Pending minor technical modifications, the databaseshould soon be available for the updated/new data to beentered and for viewing/searching online in English andFrench, followed shortly by the Russian version. Other
language versions are planned.

Overview on the Global Ethics Observatory
In order to help Member States to build capacity inapplied ethics, a system of databases is being created: the
Global Ethics Observatory (GEO). Four databases will makeup GEO: 1) a database of experts in applied ethics, 2) a
database of ethics institutions and committees, 3) a databaseof teaching programmes and 4) a database of relevant
legislation. The information should be searchable online andavailable in the six official languages of UNESCO.
The development of the four databases is programmed inorder to allow resources to be focused on the establishment of
one at a time. The first database, that of ethics experts, willsoon be available online via the UNESCO website.
Preparatory work has already begun for the second and third
databases, covering ethics institutions and ethics teaching1.
programmes, respectively.

Ethics Around the World Rotating Conferences

Database 1
2.
•
Data from independent mailing lists of individuals
interested and/or involved in applied ethics were combined toform one database with unique entries.
•
Criteria for determining what constitutes an expert weredrawn up. Based on these criteria, a questionnaire wascreated in English and French for completion by prospective
experts. (If you did not receive this questionnaire please give
your name to the secretariat).
•
The questionnaire was sent to all individuals in the
combined database (approximately 4000) as well as toDatabase 2•
A pre-existing database of bioethics institutions(approximately 1000 entries from approximately 70 countries)
shall be used as a basis for this second database.
•
The structure of the database is in the process ofelaboration, taking into account the need for compatibility
with the pre-existing database; the look of Database 2 will
follow that of Database 1.
Database 3•
A form was created to survey ethics teaching
programmes.
•
This form was distributed to participants in conferenceson ethics teaching organized by the Division of Ethics ofScience and Technology, UNESCO (Budapest, October 2004;
Moscow, January 2005; Zagreb, Spring 2005) and responses
have been received. In the coming years mapping of
programmes will be actively conducted in Asia and thePacific region.
•
A search is being conducted to find other relevant contact
persons for ethics teaching programmes; forms will be sent tothese contacts.

The Division of Ethics of Science and Technology (EST)of UNESCO has organized a series of ethics conferences invarious countries. Through these conferences, information
about the programme of ethics of science and technology of
UNESCO can be disseminated. The conferences can also
provide a platform to establish intensive contacts with experts
and interested parties in the countries. The series ofconferences is usually planned in co-operation with the
National Commissions for UNESCO, or another interested
organization, so that a joint venture will be established to thebenefit of all participating institutions.
A rotating conference has two objectives:
To provide information about the activities of
UNESCO in the area of ethics, and to disseminate materials
produced;
To interact with professionals and experts from thecountry in exchanging information, having input into
UNESCO activities, and create a network with interested
target audiences.
Meetings have been held in the following locations:
18 March 2004: Den Haag, the Netherlands
2 May 2004: Hamedan, Iran
13 September 2004: Vilnius, Lithuania
15 September 2004: Ankara, Turkey
4-5 November 2004: Buenos Aires, Argentina
16 November 2004: Seoul, Korea

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24 November 2004: Mexico City, Mexico
2 December 2004: Jakarta, Indonesia
6 January 2005: Lisbon, Portugal
21 January 2005: Moscow, Russian Federation
Some countries have expressed an interest in organizing
meetings in 2005; while other countries have planned
meetings (Phillipines, Estonia, China and New Zealand)
Regional Networks and Meetings
This meeting is an important one in a series of meetings
developing in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1997 the UNESCO
Asian Bioethics Conference was held in Kobe, Japan, together
with the Asian Bioethics Association which was founded atthat meeting. In November 2003 a Bioethics Consultation
meeting was held in UNESCO Bangkok, and this March theFirst Bangkok Workshop on Ethics Partnerships for Asia andthe Pacific, and the Fourth Session of the COMEST were held
here. In December, 2005, we expect the UNESCO IBC tomeet in Japan. The future involvement of participants in an
expanding international network and activities will be
discussed. See the appendices of this abstract book for some
UNESCO Declarations that we are aiming to implement.
The COMESTSong Sang-Yong, Pgh.D.
Vice-Chair, COMEST, South Korea
songsy63@hotmail.com
Within the purview of the ethics of science andtechnology focus area, the World Commission on Ethics ofScientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) was
formally created in 1998, and composes of 18 prominent
independent personalities (from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt,France, India, Japan, Mali, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway,
People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, South Africa,
South Korea, Spain, and United States of America) and 11 ex
officio members (chairpersons of IBC, IGBC, ICSU, ICPHS,
ISSC, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs,
IOC, MAB, MOST, IHP, IGCP) from different regions of theworld and from various scientific and humanistic disciplines.
COMEST is tasked with formulating, on a scientific basis,
ethical principles that can shed light on the various choices
and impacts occasioned by new advancements in scientificand technological fields, thus fostering a constructive ethicaldialogue on the values at stake.
COMEST is mandated as an advisory body of UNESCO,
seeking to provide informed counsel to decision-makers. It
functions as an intellectual forum for the exchange of ideas
and experience, detecting early signs of risk situations
associated with science and technology at the tendency ofcountries that have developed new technologies at the expenseof the global environment to restrict access by developing
countries to such technologies. It also provides a platform topromote dialogue between scientific communities, decisionmakers, and the public at large.
The first phase of COMEST’s work focused on the
exploration of ethical issues in water usage, energy, spacepolicy, and information, as well as on the teaching of ethics.
Drawing upon dialogues from the first phase, COMEST
has now adopted a new approach for the second phase of its
work by supporting Member States in standard-setting action,
capacity building, and awareness-raising with regard to ethicalissues related to science and technology. COMEST has also
expanded its focus, working towards establishing international

instruments in the ethics of outer space, ethical code of
conduct for scientists, and environmental ethics, as well as
addressing issues of science ethics, research ethics, ethics oftechnology, and ethics teaching.
With regards to an ethical code of conduct for scientists,
ongoing COMEST discussions have recognized that a very
detailed code would not be acceptable to scientists, but aframework for those who do not yet have guidelines would be
useful. It has also been recognized that a distinction should bemade between engineers and scientists as they may requiredifferent kinds of regulations. It was further pointed out thatsome codes would not simply constrain scientists andengineers, but would act to protect them as well. The exact
scope and application of the code is still under deliberation(see the appendix for a document on this).

2. History and Practice of Ethics of Science andTechnology
Confucianism and Its Implications for
Tradition and Modernity in China
Renzong Qiu, Ph.D.
Research Center for Bioethics,
Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
qiurenzong@hotmail.com

Bioethics:

Confucianism is mainly an ancient ethical doctrine but
has sustained influence on medicine and other disciplines in
China. Confucianism with its core concept ren is a care ethics
which labelled medicine as an art of ren and became theintellectual foundation of Chinese medical ethics. It assumes
that physicians have heavy responsibilities for patients, sothey should have special virtues to be made a doctor. As theart of ren it requires doing no harm, doing good to patients as
many as possible, and equal treatment of all patients who pay
visit. In traditional medical ethics there are moral maxims not
only for physicians to deal with the relationships with patients
and with colleagues, but also maxims for patients. The mostinfluential on bioethics is the Confucian concept of
personhood, and its implications for the discourses of rights
and responsibilities.

Indian Education and Values
V. Balambal, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor,
University of Madras, Chennai, India
drbalaram@eth.net
Swami Vivekananda says, “Education is the
manifestation of perfection in man.” The life of an individual
was divided into four phases (Ashramas) in ancient India—
Brahmacharya (period of learning); Grihastha (period offamily life); Vanaprastha (retired life) and Sanyasa (period ofrenunciation). Students of all classes went to the teacher,stayed with him and learnt. The Gurukula form of education
enabled the disciples to get good values as there was personal
touch with the teacher. It was not only gaining knowledge, but
making oneself a complete person. Every one was educated in
his respective sphere. It was an occupation oriented and vale
based education. Obedience was the watch word. In modern
times every one wants to command not to obey. But in ancient
times, whether it was a price or a merchant’s son, he had toobey his teacher and even assist his teacher’s wife in doingEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
the household cores. Obedience and dedication made him aperfect student. There was no common examination to test theuniform standard. Individuals were evaluated according totheir standards. Perhaps this had kindled the spirit andenthusiasm of the students to exhibit their skill and knowledge.
Faithfulness added strength to the success of the students.
Religion played an important role in imparting education.
In modern times, there is no doubt the IQ of the students
is very high, and they assimilate facts fast. As they know theimportance of individual rights and privileges, they are very
independent. What is needed is the education by whichcharacter is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellectis expanded and by which one can stand on his feet. Modern
education has produced great scholars and researchers, butthey lack values. It is necessary to have some hours allotted
for the lower classes for moral education so that they may beaware of the basic values. Knowledge is inherent in man. No
knowledge comes from outside. It is all inside. One should begiven an opportunity to expose his knowledge and skill.
Another important thing is that one should use his skill andknowledge for constructive purposes.
The students should be taught to be humble, obedient,helpful, service minded, sacrificing, loving, simple, graceful,and knowledgeable. They should not have jealousy, hatred,
arrogance, anger etc towards others. People and some times
even teachers may wonder that these are not included in thesyllabus. It is the duty of the teacher to make a student a full
human being with good values by setting himself a good
example. They should be ambitious, with initiative and hard
work to achieve their goal. They should be taught to havebetter human relations. Value based education would prove tobe very resourceful and helpful to the students in many ways
and not only the parents and teachers but the country could
also feel proud of the future citizens.

Bioethics in a Wider and Probably Original Sense
Shinryo Shinagawa M.D.
Emeritus Professor,
Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
shinryo@smile.ocn.ne.jp
After a short introduction to the history of the health caresystem, medical ethics, and bioethics in Japan, my own
opinions on "Bioethics in a Wider and Probably Original
Sense" will be presented. They are:
1. The Pros and cons on modern Artificial Reproductive
Technology and Brain Death/Organ-Tissue Transplantation
may be called minor issues in bioethics since the number ofpeople involved is relatively small.
2. The most important and primary subjects should bestudied and discussed in bioethics in wider sense with thegreatest emphasis on peace and the prevention of war andterrorism by the use of nuclear, chemical and biologicalweapons.
3. Bioethical thinking and conscience are urgently needed
not only for medical and co medical professionals, but also foralmost all members of society, especially for politicians,bureaucrats, law-makers, bankers, economists, lawyers,
educators and philosophers.

105

Ethical Dimensions for Sustaining Pacific Island
Environments
Suliana Siwatibau, Ph.D.
Samabula, Suva, Fijisiwatibau@connect.com.fj
Understanding of the term ethics and bioethics:
Understanding indicates that it is a moral philosophy
prescribing what is right and what is wrong. In other words it
states how the world ought to be rather than describe how it is.
When applied in the Pacific context this has to take into
account the different world views of Pacific peoples thatguide them on right and wrong relationships with theirenvironment.
Ethical dimension of economic and social development:
The current status of Pacific island countries indicatesgrowing disparity in opportunities and wealth distribution
accompanied by increasing poverty. Where economic
development including tourism development is largely
dependent on a natural resource base it is not possible toseparate meeting the needs of the poorer segments of society
from efforts to ensure environmental sustainability.
Ethical dimension of governance: The equal importanceof the environment with social and economic considerations
in a just and participatory developing society is not seriously
considered in development activities to the detriment ofsociety as a whole. Local communities that own most of theresources and are the direct stewards of the environment havelittle if any input into national policies that direct development
activities. There needs to be some re-thinking of theapplication of resource owners’ rights as well as the basic
human rights of all citizens of each nation in the formulationof sustainable development policies.
The role of religions: Pacific island peoples are generally
religious. The potential important role of religion has not beenadequately recognized in promoting sustainable development
and environmental protection in the Pacific. Major religions
including indigenous beliefs provide moral/ ethical guidance
for right relationships amongst peoples and between people
and nature. Ethics influences resource use and distribution.
Religion influences individual’s attitudes and behaviour,which can then lead to societal transformation.
Wither the ELSI program in Korea
Jeong-Ro Yoon, Ph.D.
KAIST, South Korea
jryoon@kaist.ac.kr
The Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI)
program has been supported since 2001 by the governmentfunded functional human genomics project. Faced with therising bioethical controversies such as genetically modified
food and human cloning, the ministry of science andtechnology (MOST) decided to include the ELSI program as apart of the research funding for biotechnology, modeled after
the Human Genome Project in the U.S. The research funding
for bioethics program have been spread to other MOSTfunded projects such as stem cell, transgenic organ
development and brain science, and ministries of health andwelfare, and education.
In the mean time, the regulatory framework has been
instituted. The Bioethics and Safety Act was legislated
effective as of January 1, 2004, and National Bioethics
Committee was appointed. The publication of Dr. Hwang’s

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papers in Science consecutively in 2004 and 2005 has led tomuch more enthusiastic support for human stem cell researchon the part of the government and general public. The
convergence in genomics and biotechnology, information
technology and nano-technology has further complicated the
ELSI and bioethics issues with widening information gap
between experts and lay citizens.
Given the circumstances, the ELSI and bioethics
programs in Korea are at the juncture of re-strategizing thefuture direction. The issues to be considered include: whether
to focus on general concerns at macro level or specificconcerns at micro level; how to cope with the old concerns
unresolved and further complicated in new technology; andwho is the audience and how to communicate and educate?
These issues are directly linked to the fundamental question:
what is the mission of bioethics and ELSI programs?

Islamic Codes in Medical Ethics
S. Sh. Sadr, M.D, PhD
Professor of Tehran University
Head of Legal Medicine Organization of IR. IranChairman of Islamic Organization of Forensic Medicine
Mohammad Hassan Ghadyani M.D
Specialist in Internal Medicine
Research Deputy of Legal Medicine Organization
Hossein Farboodmanesh M.DBabak Gharaei M.D
Naser Baligh M.D
hassanghadyani2@yahoo.com
As we know, the revival of genuine ethical merits is a vital
requirement for establishing an Islamic state in the society,since Islam relies on fully enlightened hearts and insights ofindividual Muslims. Islam not only provides guidelines for
personal lives of its followers, but also, in order to attain its
ultimate truth, has considered various cultural, economic,
juridical and governmental aspects, and because of these
ethical methods, exerts a great influence as a rule on all
aspects of human life. Ethics as a kind of knowledge that
deals with human being, its mental and spiritual improvement
and inward purification has essential differences withconventional sciences that deal only with material and natural
word, and is second to theology, in terms of status, necessity,
andrewards.
This is the mission of ethics to identify’ various potentials ofhumankind and help us attain a balance between various
desires of self, in order to find the way toward our deserved
perfection. Hence, spiritual and moral edification should
accompany, or even precede all kinds of education and direct
them. Although it seems that there is no connection between
the two, material and physical sciences are a necessary
prelude to what serves ethics and human perfection, and playa critical role in this regard. Although there is no specificchapter in ethics for medical ethics, considering differences in
professions and their social status and that each profession
deals with its own problems and concerns, medical ethics canbe defined as: the science that concerns with those behaviors
and rules that should be observed by all in medical
professions. Medical ethics is as inseparable from the worldview as is the ethics itself. Therefore, nearly all peoples havebelieved in medical ethics since ancient times, although eachhas justified its necessity in a different way.

3. Bioethics Education in Schools across Asiaand the PacificIndian Ethics and Contemporary Bio-ethical Issues
D.S. Nesy, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy, University of Kerala,
Kerala, India
dnesynet@eth.net
The holistic nature of Hindu philosophy and the diversity
and complexity of the Hindu religio-culture results in theunjust treatment of the subject of ethics in the Indian context.
This is the basis of the statements like ‘Hindu philosophy
furnishes no satisfactory basis for an ethics’ and Hindu ethicalsystem as ‘world-and-life-negating’. The understanding of
Hinduism as world-and-life-negating, soul-centric and /degenerate or amoral is only a misunderstanding or only apartial understanding. The fact is that unlike the unified andcreed-like Semitic religion, Hinduism is a complex andcomposite whole comprising of mutually incomparable
religio-philosophical systems, values and practices. The
world-and-life-affirming spirit persisted in it right from the
beginning and hence the culture of mundane values of both
instrumental and intrinsic nature. The positive attitude to life
and the world is evident from the recognition of the threehuman goals (trivarga), the adoption of the science ofstatecraft (arthasastra) and the scheme of salvation(moksasastra). The dual functions attributed to knowledge
namely theoretical and practical or revealing the existence ofsome object and affording help in the attainment of some
purpose in life is peculiar to Indian tradition. The Indiansystem of thought is specific in the sense of being atheoretical enterprise but with a definite purpose and goal tobe achieved. It has a deep and immense practical concern thatnecessarily calls for suitable planning, program andperformance. The applied character of yoga, the vadavidhi as
the art of debate to arrive at truth much useful injurisprudence, the applications of Ayurveda in health andhygiene are all instances of its practical concern.
Contemporary issues of abortion, euthanasia, environment etc.
demanding a strong theoretical understanding can bemeaningfully discussed in the light of the ethical principles ofIndian tradition. We are in a world of moral chaos andpermissive society where phenomenal advances in scienceand technology provide growing and bewildering variety ofmoral dilemmas quite unknown to our fore fathers. The
illumination and guidance available in the ancient traditions
on these are to be welcomed.

The Importance of Knowledge Development in Bioethics
Education
Lindsey N. Conner, Ph.D.
Christchurch College of Education, New Zealand
Lindsey.Conner@cce.ac.nz
The importance of knowledge development has probably
been underestimated in previous studies of learning aboutbioethical issues. This paper discusses the importance of
exploring prior content and procedural knowledge, so thatstudents can extend and develop this knowledge whenstudying and learning about issues. A case study of a final
year high school biology class illustrates aspects of a unit ofEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
work that were designed to enhance student’s ability tocritically consider bioethical issues related to cancer. This
investigation indicates that students’ prior knowledge of bothcontent and learning processes influenced the level ofachievement in their essays. Pedagogical implications are
discussed in relation to the enhancement of knowledge
development in bioethics education.

Teaching Moral Values for High School Students: an
Indian Context
P. Senthil Kumaran 1, M.A. Jothi Rajan 2, Arockiam
Thaddeus 3, T. Mathavan 4
1Junior Research Scholar, School of Tamil Studies, Madurai
Kamaraj University, India
2 Department of Physics, Arul Anandar College(Autonomous), India
3 Department of Zoology, Jayaraj Annapackiam College for
Women, Periyakulam, India
4 School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, India
1psnthlkmrn@yahoo.com; 2anjellojothi@yahoo.co.in
Respecting the freedom of others is one of the noblest
human values that can be imbibed in the hearts of the students
by narrating true life incidents known to the students andhistorical events. To respect the feelings and sentiment ofothers is one way of safeguarding and honouring one’s own
freedom and liberty. Every society has its own value system.
If the individual is not able to cope up with the value systemfor one reason or other, the desires of the individual has to besacrificed for the well being of the society. In this presentationsome of the practical methods adopted in the Indian context
will be highlighted. Students have their own prejudicesagainst one another. It is the duty of the teacher to make thestudents realize that fair and equal opportunities should begiven to their class-mates in all curricular, co-curricular andextra-curricular activities so that in future they become
tolerant citizens of the society, respecting the individual
talents of other person. It is well known that no two
individuals are alike.
Developing nations face different types of problems
based on their social, economical, tropical and politicalsystems. Students should be made to be aware of the evils inthe society which cause damage to the growth of their own
society and the nation at large. The teacher should kindle inthe minds of the students the spirit of patriotism which willburn as a flame to light the nation in the future. Students
should know why their parents and teachers curtail some of
their desires. The reservation system in education andemployment in India is a master plan of our founding fathersof the constitution. They were optimistic in uplifting thestandards of living of the so called “Lower Caste” people whoare destined so for being born in that caste family. After 57
years of independence the purpose for which reservations
were implemented is forgotten and it continues to be alucrative affair for some of our politicians.
The impact of the mass media has submerged the spirit ofinnovation in the young minds. Hence they imitate the socalled ‘Heroes’ without knowing that they themselves are agreater hero than the one they admire. The teacher has a very
vital role to play in teaching the students about the ill-effectsof the mass media especially the cinema and the internet. This
presentation will highlight the methods to teach moral values

107

in a meaningful way so that the content reaches the heart first
and the brain next.

Bioethics Education Trials at the Ateneo De Manila HighSchool, in the Philippines
Ester Abito and Maryann Chen Ng
Ester Estrella M. Abito, Msc and Maryann Chen Ng, M.Sc.
Faculty, Ateneo de Manila High School
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines
emabito_ethics@yahoo.com

Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Tsukuba, Japan
maryannchenng@yahoo.com

The formal inclusion of Bioethics issues in Biology classes
at the Ateneo de Manila High School started in school year
2003-2004 through the holding of Bioethics trial classes. As
the school participated in the Bioethics Education Project ofDr. Darryl Macer, the Biology teachers handled trial classes
on selected Bioethics chapters/modules that were timely andrelevant to the Biology curriculum.
In school year 2004-2005, the Science and Technology
Department of the AHS mandated the teaching of Bioethics as
an integral and formal part of the Biology curriculum. This
move is in keeping with the general provisions of theConstitution of the Republic of the Philippines that seek,
among others, “to teach the rights and duties of citizenship,
strengthen ethical and spiritual values, and develop moral
character and personal discipline.” Along the same vein, theformal integration of Bioethics into the fabric of the Biology
curriculum, implements the school’s philosophy andobjectives of providing a well-integrated program for thedevelopment of the students’ ability, among others, “to makerelevant judgments and to discriminate among values… as
responsible persons and productive members of thecommunity.” This development in the Biology curriculum isaided by the availability of Bioethics materials and textbooks
through the Bioethics project with Dr. Darryl Macer.

Internet Self-efficacy and Student-centered Learning in a
Thai Secondary Schools
Duangkamol Chartprasert
Faculty of Mass Communication,
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Duangkamol.C@chula.ac.thInternet self-efficacy, or the belief in one’s capabilities toorganize and execute courses of Internet actions required to
produce given attainments, has been found to influence one’s
choice, performance and persistence in using theInternet. Apart from accessibility, internet self-efficacy is oneof the most important factors determining the extent to which
the Internet is used and how equally the Internet will be usedby members of a society. As Thailand’s new Educational Bill
encourages the student-centered pedagogy and self-regulated
learning, the Internet has been viewed as a very promisingtoolforacquiringknowledgeinaschoolenvironment. However, the investment on the technology
might be futile or might even cause negative side effects suchas widening the knowledge gaps among students if theInternet is used differentially. This paper examines factors

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

affecting Internet self-efficacy judgment of students in asample of secondary schools and universities in
Bangkok. The researcher also makes suggestions on
appropriate intervention measures to ensure that the use of theInternet in school benefits the learning of students of all socialand psychological backgrounds.

This Year’s Flowers Are Redder than Last Year: A Brief
Introduction of the Bioethics Project in the High School
Affiliated to Beijing Normal University in the Past Two
Years
Liping Wang, Vice-Principal,and Hao Wang, Jianzhi Li, Jinhua Fu, Jing Zhuo, Lei Li, Li
Kuang, Wenbin Bai, XiaoYan Liu, Xin Liu, Yongmei Gu, Yuan
Yu, Collaborating teachers
The Middle School attached to Beijing Normal University,
Beijing, China
li_jianzhi@hotmail.com
The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University(BNU) is the first school that offers the bioethics course in themainland of China. That course has lasted for two consecutive
years. Our school identifies the bioethics course as acompulsory subject for the senior II students. Biology
teachers take turns to give lectures.
According to the feedbacks from the students last year,
we can tell that the students warmly receive the bioethics
course. They deem that the course not only enrich theirknowledge, but also develop their ways of thinking in face ofcomplex ethics problems. Besides, by getting involved in thisinternational project, every teacher benefits from it. It
provides a stage for them to collaborate and communicate
with foreign participants. On the basis of the experience lastyear, we have published several academic theses on bioethics,
which has some influence in China.
Since this year, we have made more progress. For an
instance, we select those topics linked to the needs of students
rather than the topics in which students have no interest (likePalliative Care). We select the topics that are getting more andmore concerned by public (like drug abuse). As the scope of
topics expands, more teachers are joining in the project. To
encourage students to take a more active part in the study, theteachers allow them to spend time thinking and discussing. To
make the study more interesting, the teachers display morepictures and video materials. On the basis of the original
textbooks, the teachers have compiled the new textbooks,
more suitable for the Chinese students. Through the teachingexperience last year, the teachers are gradually grasping thequintessence of bioethics. To foster the development ofbioethics within the framework of the high schools, we not
only offer the bioethics course, but also transmit the thinkingof bioethics in the teaching process on purpose. Through thejoint efforts of the teachers and students, the teaching systemof bioethics in the High School Affiliated to BNU has initiallycome into being.

The Actualities and Prospects of Bioethics Education in a
Chinese Middle School
Fu Jinhua (presented by Zhen Zheng)
The Middle School attached to Beijing Normal University,
Beijing, China

xinyue2468@sina.com
At present, we have carried the second trials in Chinese
middle school from September in 2003. With the developmentof this project, we have accumulated more and moreexperience and concluded the lessons from the practice. Does
the material bioethics for informed citizens across cultures
adapt to the Chinese middle school students? What did thestudents learn in this class? Is this subject beneficial to thestudents and have influence on their behavior, life view orvalue view? As the coordinated school, what does this project
bring us? And what’s the next step of our school are the main
topics of this paper.

To treasure your life, refuse drugs
Jianzhi Li
High School Affiliated To Beijing Normal University,
Beijing, China
li_jianzhi@hotmail.com
In recent years, the international drug problem is getting
more and more serious. Drug abuse has involved more than
200 countries and regions across five continents. It is still
spreading. In China, drug abusers have doubled. Moreworryingly, adolescents are becoming the main drug addicts.
Drug abuse has greatly threatened the sound growth of ouryoungsters; therefore it is urgent to let them know the harm of
drugs and to keep them away from them.
This document describes the topic from following
aspects:
1
Drug awareness. Students are able to separate drugs
from general toxicants and addictive products and can identify
by sight / picture several common drugs (e.g. marijuana,
dancing outreach, etc.).
2
Harm of drugs. Many young people take drugs due
to unawareness of the huge harm of drugs. In this part, it
many cases will be provided to elaborate the tremendous
disaster to individuals, family and society resulting from drug
abuse
3Drug Prevention. This is the ultimate objective of
drug control. It discovers corresponding measures throughanalyzing the reasons for adolescent drug abuse and helps
students build up strong belief in “never taking the first drug”.
4
Drug-related ethical issues. Drug addiction is acomplex social phenomenon, not only confined to medicine
and pharmacology, but also relating to law, sociology, ethics,
psychology and so on. There are many complicated ethicaland moral issues centered on drugs. This part cites cases forstudents to consider and discuss, aiming at enabling them tobehave with caution and a responsible attitude with similar
problems in the future, rather than going with the stream.
With this information, young people will know the harmof drugs, have enhanced drug control awareness and will say“yes” to life and “no” to drugs.

Teaching About Organ Donation and Organ Transplants
Yuan Yu
The Middle School attached to Beijing Normal University,
Beijing, China
liujun@sz.bjcz.gov.cn

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
Organ transplants are now used around the world. In
particular, over the past thirty years with the development of
micro-surgery techniques and advanced immune system
suppressors, many people have recovered their health and recommenced active life as a result of receiving organs. Somemodern medical techniques have conspicuously broken
through ties with ethical ideals though have been given social
endorsement. Organ donation still presents many difficult
ethical problems though, notably in the sourcing anddistribution of body parts. This has led to the need for a new
field of ethical discussion and teaching materials: Bio-ethics
for informed citizens across cultures. This has been viewed byMacer as consisting of four aspects:
1 Organ Transplants: Development and Actuality
2 Types of Organ Transplant: Complications and Success
3 Organ Donations: Ethical Problems
3.1 In accord with ethics;
3.2 Following ethics;
3.3 Source of Organs and ethical requests;
3.4 Ethics of Organ donation;
4 Organ Donation: Legal problems

Environmental Education and Ecoethics-Current Trends
in Education
M. Selvanayagam, Ph.D. and Fr. Francis P. Xavier
PG and Research Department of Zoology, Loyola College,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
drmssel@yahoo.co.in
Education and awareness are solutions to the evils ofignorance and poverty. Today environmental education has tobe coupled with – Ecoethics which has gained importance dueto the deterioration in the quality of the environment we live
in. To make our Mother Earth livable, we have to createawareness not only of the importance of environment but also
the ethical values. In recent judgment, a bench of Judges,
Justice Shri. N. Santosh Hegde and Justice Shri. B.P.Singhhave asked the NCERT, AICTE and all the State
Governments to explain the serious lapse on their part on
imparting environmental education. The Court had directed
the University Grants Commission to prescribe a course on
Environment at the graduation and post graduation level. Thus
making the environmental education compulsory subject atevery level of higher education is a welcome move to
inculcate the value of environment so that the environment welive in will be livable also in the future.

Value Education: A Treasure of a Nation
M. A. Jothi Rajan 1, Arockiam Thaddeus 2, T.Mathavan 3,
V.Fragrance Latha 4
1
Department of Physics, Arul Anandar College(Autonomous); School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj
University, Madurai, 2Department of Zoology, J.A. College
for Women (Autonomous), Periyakulam, India 3School ofPhysics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai
4
P.G. Assistant in Chemistry, Govt. Hr. Sec. School,
Thiruvadavur, Madurai, India
anjellojothi@yahoo.co.in
Nelson Mandela says, “The question of poverty and lackof education, those two combined is the greatest problem
facing the world right now”. What Mandela meant is the109

education embedded with noble human values to alleviate
poverty. The problems faced by educationists are innumerable.
One such problem is the introduction of value education. In
many educational institutions value education is taught as aseparate optional or compulsory subject. Values of individuals
and society change from time to time. But values on the rightway of living life never change. Value education text
materials are prepared with great care incorporating
wonderful examples. Yet students take this course very lightly.
Values should not be taught in a formal way. Values arecaught rather than taught. A better method to introduce values
will be to teach them along with the main subject, e.g., while
teaching Newton’s third low of motion in physics, after giving
proper explanations, the teacher can say “good actions in life
bring good rewards and bad actions bring punishments”. Thus
values could be introduced in each and every subject
whenever and wherever possible. An attempt is made in thispaper to study the effectiveness of the direct and indirect
methods of instructional procedure to teach values at any levelof education. A carefully framed value education readingmaterial will mould the pupils into better citizens of thecountry.

Can Formal Education Promote Beneficence? [poster]
Arockiam Thaddeus 1, M. A. Jothi Rajan 2, T. Mathavan 3, V.
Fragrance Latha 4
1Department of Zoology, J.A. College for Women(Autonomous), Periyakulam, India
2Department of Physics, Arul Anandar College(Autonomous), India
3School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai,
India
4P.G. Assistant in Chemistry, Govt. Hr. Sec. School,
Thiruvadavur, Madurai, India
anjellojothi@yahoo.co.in
Respecting the freedom of others is one of the noblest
human values that can be imbibed in the hearts of the students
by narrating true life incidents known to the students andhistorical events. To respect the feelings and sentiment ofothers is one way of safeguarding and honouring one’s own
freedom and liberty. Every society has its own value system.
If the individual is not able to cope up with the value systemfor one reason or other, the desires of the individual has to besacrificed for the well being of the society. In this presentationsome of the practical methods adopted in the Indian context
will be highlighted. Students have their own prejudicesagainst one another. It is the duty of the teacher to make thestudents realize that fair and equal opportunities should begiven to their class-mates in all curricular, co-curricular andextra-curricular activities so that in future they become
tolerant citizens of the society, respecting the individual
talents of other person. It is well known that no two
individuals are alike.
Developing nations face different types of problems
based on their social, economical, tropical and politicalsystems. Students should be made to be aware of the evils inthe society which cause damage to the growth of their own
society and the nation at large. The teacher should kindle inthe minds of the students the spirit of patriotism which willburn as a flame to light the nation in the future. Students
should know why their parents and teachers curtail some of
their desires. The reservation system in education and110

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

employment in India is a master plan of our founding fathersof the constitution. They were optimistic in uplifting thestandards of living of the so called ‘Lower Caste’ people whoare destined so for being born in that caste family. After 57
years of independence the purpose for which reservations
were implemented is forgotten and it continues to be alucrative affair for some of our politicians.
The impact of the mass media has submerged the spirit ofinnovation in the young minds. Hence they imitate the socalled ‘Heroes’ without knowing that they themselves are agreater hero than the one they admire. The teacher has a very
vital role to play in teaching the students about the ill-effectsof the mass media especially the cinema and the internet. This
presentation will highlight the methods to teach moral values
in a meaningful way so that the content reaches the heart first
and the brain next.

Perspective on the Role of Sex Education in the changing
cultural scenario and psyche of Indian Personae in the 21stCentury
D.S. Sheriff, Ph.D, M.D.
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute,Thrissur, Kerala, India
drdsheriff@eth.net
The influence of changing culture on the new generationis alienating the youngsters from traditional values and ethics.
There is increased incidence of sexual abuse and aberrant
sexual activities in society. The sexually explicit culture andthe new terminology like metrosexual man in cosmopolitan
cities along with sudden exposure of this hitherto
camouflaged but now televised sexuality has baffled theminds of certain orthodox rural Indians. It is juxtaposed tocertain rural scenarios say of a village in Kerala with 14 year
old brides becoming abandoned wives in their twenties andgrandmothers in their thirties. The stories of mass rape of
teenagers in cities with unrestricted discussion and debates onsuch social issues of great moral sensitivity awakens the needfor regularizing the mindset of younger generation towards ahealthy sexual life in a traditional way. Media reports of rolemodels of westernized Indian youngsters like the Pop star
Michael Jackson so called child sexual abuse case of an adultinfant seem to light the fire of hormonal passion trying toburn the social fabric of society. Sex education, which is to
impart true scientific knowledge as well as social
responsibility to all segments of society, sits wrapped waiting
for teachers to unravel the mysteries of love and life.
Paedophilia the moral scourge that has soiled human sexuality
from Belgium to the compound walls of the Church is one
such phenomenon, which demonstrates the need forrevamping of our sexual and social mores of life. Instead ofdissecting and exposing the anatomical anomalies of humansexual act and behaviour, it is relevant to teach forgotten life
values particularly to the ever expanding and experimenting
minds of our teenagers. The Acquired Immuno Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS), which threatens and challenges the healthof our society demands propagating proper preventive
measures as well as a protective science of sexuality. The
advertisements often screened on the Television for condoms
or other sexual matters need to be precise without any
ambiguity so as to prevent a false notion that condoms may
allow permissive sex. The sexuo-erotic orientation with
confounding theories of hetero- and homosexuality even if it

is socially or scientifically factual need not be a pathfinder foralternate routes of sexual behaviour. The recent referendum in
Italy to change the norms of sexual behaviour with little
turnout to vote reemphasizes the fact that the world still holds
certain social ethical norms to guide society towards a morally
fulfilling life style. The sudden socio cultural shock in theform of a spurt in adverse sexual patterns of behaviour in theteens and the rise in AIDS cases in our country makes us takestock of our social responsibility to impart true sex education
with no insinuations or scope for manipulation of developing
minds of our youngsters. The report of a married man
wanting a second wife to meet his desires at his place of workon the pretext that his first wife has to take care of his parents
back at home stirs up another issue of how ignorant or
arrogant a male could be towards females. It is exasperating tolearn that he asks for a legal opinion whether he could give
power of attorney to his brother to marry on his behalf tocircumvent the Hindu Law of Divorce. Women need social
dignity and equality in society which seems rather printed
matter far from reality. It is therefore necessary that sex
education must open our views to give dignity to humansexuality and discipline the mind that is bombarded by naked
play of human sexuality on and off the screen of human life.

Consulting the Public in the Setting of Bioethics:
Regulatory Framework and Policy in Malaysia
Muhammad Nizam Awang Ali, Ph.D.
Faculty of Syariah and Law,
Islamic University College of Malaysia
my_counsel@yahoo.co.uk
To draft a policy without consulting the public opinion isdisastrous. As regard to bioethics, communities’ values
system must be the primary agenda. Since health policies are
not an exclusive subject, participation of peoples from diverse
background and experience in the decision-making process is
significant in tandem with the principles of a pluralistic
democracy. Structured paternalism lies coherently on theprofessionalism within the medical fraternity, yet it is notadequate to advocate the framework of social justice for being
ignorant of the public opinion.
While Malaysia is still working on the comprehensive
regulatory framework, the existing bioethics policy must
diligently consider a tacit guideline on how the public opinion
will effectively address the issues according to the proper
procedures and findings. It is noteworthy that the standing
committee set up for assisted reproductive techniques (ART)drawn up by the Malaysian Medical Association and
Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia in 1999
deserves an appraisal. A comprehensive set of administrative,
ethical and clinical guidelines was prepared to provide safety
and efficacy in the scientific practices. However, the existing
proportion of membership in the committee should welcome
more participation from the public stakeholders. Thisparticipatory model requires higher level of literacy amongst
them before the dialogue session is held. Public discourse andcollaborative networks amongst the medical regulatory bodies
and the non-governmental organisation is another concern.
Though Malaysia is still at the infancy stage particularly on
the structure of bioethics committee and comprehensive
legislation on bioethics, transparency in the decision-making
process must be constant. Regulating law under the so-called‘public policy’ irrespective of the public criticism is anEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
irreconcilable paradox. This paper attempts to criticallyanalyse the efforts undertaken by the Malaysian government
in the setting up of the bioethics policy and how they deal
with the public response on the circular issued pertinent tobioethics. It is learnt that various participation in the setting
up of the bioethics policy in Malaysia will enable greater
understanding and acceptance of the public on the prevailingissues. International guidelines are the fundamentals to beincorporated, yet they must be situated within the local
traditions, religious and cultural sensitivities subsisting in thesociety.

Monday, 12 September
4. Environmental Ethics
Land and people as the measure: A Pacific ethic of place
and prudence
Elise Huffer, Ph.D. and Tui Rakuita
Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development andGovernance, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Huffer_E@usp.ac.fj
Vanua, fenua, fanoa, fonua, aba mean both land andpeople in various Pacific languages. Kainga, aiga, ‘aina referto family as well as ‘to that which feeds’ (or “that from which
one eats”),1. and are (viscerally) connected to land. Together
they constitute the measure or the foundation by which Pacificsocieties set their ethical standards. The land (including theocean) feeds the people, literally and figuratively: it is thesource, the foundation, it produces and creates, and it is neveran inanimate commodity. Pacific societies have a strong
consciousness that going against the path or the way of theland (salavakavanua in Fijian) is detrimental. For instance,
lying crooked on the land, davo cala, as opposed to davo donu,
lying straight (in Fijian) will lead to the end of sautu (wellbeing). 2 The Hawaiian expression mālama ‘aina whichmeans to take care of the land succinctly sums up the idea ofprimary responsibility to the land (and to the people itsustains). This Pacific ‘land ethic’ offers strong parallels with
the idea of an ethic of place developed by environmental
philosophers and to that of ‘ecological’ prudence. As such it
can and should inform global discussions on bioethics andglobal environmental governance.
1

See Lilikalā Kame’eleihiwa, 1992. Native Land and Foreign
Desires: Pehea Lā E Pono Ai? Honolulu: Bishop Museum
Press, cited in Tēvita O Ka’ili, 2005. Tauhi Vā: Nurturing
Tongan Sociospatial Ties in Maui and Beyond, The
Contemporary Pacific, 17 (1), p. 83.
2
See Ilaitia Tuwere, 2002. Vanua: Towards a Fijian Theologyof Place, Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South
Pacific.

Anthropocentrism isn’t a dirty word: reflections on natureand life at the margins
Mary Ann Chen Ng
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Tsukuba, Japan
maryannchenng@yahoo.com

111

The environmental movement has brought about a widearray of views about nature and the environment ranging frombiocentrism to light environmentalism. The common
denominator among these is the primacy given to nature inboth theory and practice; that is, the construction of “theenvironment as an ideal” gestalt. The question of whether andhow to balance the tenacious relationship between humans
and the environment defines where people stand in theenvironmentalism spectrum. Another definitive point ofcontention is what should be included, valued as prime
subjects, objects and actors of environmental discourse. How
people rank animals, species, ecosystem and humans in orderof importance reflects what kind of environmentalism they
subscribe to. The rhetorical question of “who will you choosepeople or trees?" depicts the ontological tension between
those who, on a very basic and daily basis, are directly
subjected to the capriciousness of Mother Nature and those
who are engaged in the creation and implementation of thecultural capital of environmentalism. More often than not, theformer becomes transmogrified into “people who need to beassisted and to be educated in the value of the environment for
the world”. In corollary, the lack of nuance in this worldview
that tends to lump “the people” as one whole unit becomesproblematic when it comes to finding solutions for “thepeople”, for one, a variety of definitions brings us to thequestion of are we talking, to begin with, about the same
“people". This paper will examine how these various
complexities and interrelations are played out concretely
among people living in the so-called margins of amarginalized community in a UNESCO Natural World
Heritage Site in the Philippines. Basically, it will seek tounderstand what it means when one’s backyard is declared a
globally protected area. In doing so, it will hope to address therole environmentalism plays on the prevalent mindset andpractices of people who are perceived as living in remoteareas that need to be aided by a just, caring, benevolent andaltruistic global community.

From Biosphere to Technosphere to Biotechnosphere: theIndian Scenario in an Eco-Ethical Perspective
Abhik Gupta, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Ecology & Environmental Science,
Assam University, India
agecol@rediffmail.com
The biosphere concept, first advanced by Eduard Suess in
1875, propagated by V.I. Vernadsky in the 1920s-‘40s, andreiterated as well as reinforced by E.P. Odum in the 1970s,
emphasizes the key role of living organisms not only in theevolution of the biosphere itself, but in modifying and shaping
the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere as well.
The early human societies shared the biosphere’s resources
with the other organisms in an equitable manner in harmony
with the natural processes. However the tremendous
development of the brain and the central nervous system ofman led many western thinkers to reason that the biosphere
has been transformed into a ‘noosphere’ controlled by thehuman mind. But as the humans simply used technology totame nature and to make it subservient to human need andgreed instead of acting as a benign steward, the noosphere in
reality became a ‘technosphere’, where not only the nonhuman entities, but even those human communities lacking
access to technology enjoyed few rights or none at all. In fact,

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

the classification of nations, communities or places into
categories
suchas‘developed’,‘developing’,‘underdeveloped’ or ‘backward’ is entirely based on theirtechnological status. A similar yardstick based on
biotechnology is likely to be used in near future.
In India, urban centers were established in the Indus
Valley as early as in c 2500 B.C., and starting from c 1000
B.C., large forested tracts were cleared, especially in the
Ganga valley, by the Vedic people. Nevertheless, these effects
were mostly localized, and by and large the Indian society
continued to live in harmony with nature, thereby being
governed by the principles of the biosphere concept. While
trade flourished and cities grew during the successive empiresthat followed, including those during the Pathan and theMughal periods, the Indian villagers essentially led a life of‘ecosystem people’, living off the resources drawn from avery limited catchment area. In order to ensure sustainable
extraction of resources, they evolved an intricate system oftaboos in hunting and harvesting, established sacred groves,and took to nature worship, thereby integrating an ecocentric
lifestyle into the Indian culture. The impact of the industrial
revolution in the 17th century was not felt in India, till it
became a part of the British Empire in the mid 18th century.
India then gradually moved into the technosphere, a processthat was accelerated after independence in 1947. Largedevelopment projects were commissioned accompanied bydeforestation, loss of biodiversity, and pollution of air andwater. Augmented food production using intensive farming
contaminated the environment with fertilizers and pesticides
with concomitant decline in soil fertility and increasing
salinization of soil in large tracts of land. The high-yielding
varieties of crops such as rice pushed to the brink the tens of
thousands of traditional landraces. Now the emphasis is on theuse of biotechnology to rescue the development juggernaut
out of this morass, exploiting the strength of the country as amegabiodiversity center, and having two biodiversity hotspots.
India now aspires to become a major player in the global
economic arena by the application of biotechnology to extract,
exploit and manipulate its rich genetic diversity and its
equally rich traditional knowledge. Interestingly, neither when
it was bolstering its technological capability, nor today when
it intends to apply biotechnological solutions to its problems,
India has tried sincerely to address the inevitable ecologicaland ethical issues relating to the time-honoured, intricate andinseparable links between biodiversity and the cultural
practices of a large section of its people, and the fact thatbiodiversity still supports the substantial non-monetizedeconomy of the Indian villages, especially those in themarginal, remote areas. This paper argues that just as its
transformation into the technosphere has remained incomplete,
so would be that into the biotechnosphere unless these vital
issues are resolved along eco-ethical principles.

Learning from our forefathers: A foundation for bioethics
in the Pacific islands – with emphasis on issues relating toagriculture and the environment
Nacanieli Tuivavalagi, Ph.D.
Samoa
filia@samoa.ws
As a student of agriculture at the University of the South
Pacific in the 70s, I realized that a machinery was in place
which was working towards destroying and replacing myforefathers’ farming systems without even trying tounderstand these: my father’s farming system was being
written off as `backward’. As a lecturer at the University of
the South Pacific School of Agriculture in the 80’s, I madearrangements so that my students could use their Summer
holidays to learn about their traditional farming systems so as
to balance what the university was teaching them aboutmodern agriculture during the academic year. Students fromvarious countries of the Pacific were involved – including
those from Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. While thestudents learnt some traditional methodologies and techniques,I found that they achieved something of greater importance –they learnt also the non-physical, metaphysical or spiritual
foundations that controlled the ethics and behaviours of ourforefathers with regards to agriculture, the environment and infact the whole of life in the islands.
This paper will argue that in this era of rapid
globalization“[o]ne of the greatest needs today is to evolve a
new ethical system, or systems, better adapted to the present
and coming context” (Professor Ron Crocombe, The South
Pacific, 2001:231) While `ethics’ is essential, some issues ofdebate include - how shall we decide the standards and, shallethics be based on factors such as intuition, law, pleasure,evolution, perfection, and/or value? It will be argued that ourforefathers pointed the way and prepared the building blocks
required to create a solid foundation for bioethics in the
Pacific islands. This paper will discuss the foundation forbioethics in the Pacific islands – with emphasis on issues
relating to agriculture and the environment.

Ethical Aspects of Using International Rivers: Some
Policy Proposals for Optimal Sharing of Teesta River
Water
Fakrul Islam, Ph.D. 1, Wardatul Akmam, Ph.D. 2
Associate Professors
1Department of Social Work, University of Rajshahi,
Bangladesh
2Department of Sociology, University of Rajshahi,
Bangladesh
1hiraharati@yahoo.com
2akmamprottoya@hotmail.com
All riparian states have the right to use water ofinternational rivers. This right is equally recognized for all
riparian states on the basis of ethical principles and laws oninternational water sharing. However, sharing of river water
has become one of the issues of conflict between neighboringstates. Various claims and counter claims are heard of and inorder to resolve these issues many cooperative bilateraltreaties have also been signed. But treaties that are only
politically induced and do not include provisions for
economic benefits and do not follow ethical principles onhumanitarian grounds of the riparian states are not likely tolast for long. Continuity of such treaties is indispensable forthe sustenance and development of the riparian states andethical principles and humanitarian grounds should be thebasis for these treaties. Nowadays, it is observed that statessituated at the upstream control the water flow of rivers fortheir own benefits without considering its consequences on
the downstream state. As a result inhabitants of thedownstream countries suffer untold miseries. Nevertheless,there are some good examples of international water sharing.
In this paper, I discuss these principles with special referenceEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
to the case of sharing of the Teesta River water between India
and Bangladesh. Some policy proposals are also made in thisregard. The paper emphasizes the necessity of upholding
morality and ethical principles in formulating andimplementing policies regarding sharing of international riverwater. Riparian states must cooperate and be sympathetic forthe causes of one another.

Theoretical Foundations of Neonaturalistic Environmental
Bioethics
Jan Wawrzyniak, Ph.D.
Institute of Philosophy UAM, Poland
jawa@amu.edu.pl

113

and value-ability (ability to value). Neonaturalistic
evolutionary ethics/axiology is an alternative approach to thesystems of environmental ethics based on the category of
autonomous intrinsic value.

Can education in environmental ethics alone solve
problems of loss of biodiversity in Developing Countries
Aruna Sivakami, Ph.D.
Head, Department of Politics and Public Administration,
University of Madras, India
runashiva_246@yahoo.com
India is one of the twelve mega bio-diversity nations.
Besides economic arguments for protection of bio diversity,
there are bio ethical arguments too. All species are not onlyinter-dependent; they all have a right to exist. Humans haveno right to reduce the species richness and they must live
within the same ecological limitations as other species do.
Nature has spiritual and aesthetic values that transcend
economic values and rights of all other beings.
Habitat fragmentation, degradation and pollution result insome species being affected, but greatly by only habitat
destruction. The most subtle form of habitat degradation isenvironmental pollution, the most common causes of which ispesticides, industrial chemicals and wastes from factories andautomobiles, causing water pollution and air pollution.
Manali, North Madras is one area subjected to all types ofpollution. Indian Environmental ethics has been forgotten.
Legal mechanisms are powerless and political forces use
administrative machinery to safeguard defaulters. Many of
the rare species of birds common, only to Indonesia, Malaysia
and South India are reduced considerably Poor people are
ignorant about the course of actions to be taken. There are no
prominent NGOs functioning. Thus the development crisis ofSouthern countries is not one of resource crisis but politicaland social will.
Even in Marxist writings one can not see resource crunch,wastage or technology as a constraining factor of growth.
Their emphasis was only on rapaciousness of capitalism
which survived, changing its forms, never comprehending theneed for environmental ethics.
Now the world has come to realize that Nature exists foritself and not for man alone. While it is impossible to follow
environmental fundamentalism it is possible to combine,cleaner technology with ethical commitment toenvironmentalism. This paper pleads for environmentalism to
be included in the search for a new social theory, on whichsocieties can be reconstructed.

I take the domain of bioethics to be the moral dimensionof actions and intentions affecting vital values, or theattributes and essential conditions of being a living creature.
The structure of vital values - both organismic ones (e. g.
health) and biotic community ones (e. g. eco-equilibrium) and moral values (perhaps aesthetic ones as well) constitutes
the environmental life-quality (ELQ), the essential state forLife on Earth to self-continue in the process of natural
multiplication & selection. As culture is an adaptational
system and the multidimensional niche of Homo sapiens (HS),its existence depends on human observation of the standardsof ELQ in the course of cultural development.
The environmental perspective, having an influence on
traditional bioethics for 30 years, has caused biomedical
ethics, hitherto understood as the ethics of clinical practice, toacquire the new dimension of environmental life-quality
ethics in the context of a revised value-status of HS within thebiosphere. The ontological and logical aspects of the is-ought
problem, the universalizability of ought-judgments, and theexistence/nonexistence of natural values seem to befundamental issues, the solution to which is crucial to theconstruction of global bioethics. An environmental ethicist
looks for a set of transcendental (interspecific) values that canunderlie the methodologically proper attribution of rights tononhumans and specific duties to HS. However, in order toconstruct a verifiable normative ethic that does not commit
the naturalistic fallacy, it is necessary both to find theontological possibility for an empirical fact to be normative
and to make a valuer abstract (transcendental).
It is a methodological fallacy both to anthropomorphize
natural phenomena by explaining them in terms of culturalsciences and to abuse the ‘anthropomorphism’ argument. Thischarge is a common reaction to evolutionary explanations ofspiritual phenomena, for humans do not accept the natural
origins of their humanity. Anthropomorphism itself, as aninversion of the cause and the result, expresses the nonacceptance of the real origin of HS. Hence, the theoretical Spreading the Wings of Bioethics: Issues of Scale andproposal I want to sketch represents a neonaturalistic, which I Priority
identify as my standpoint, approach to bioethical dilemmas. Morgan Pollard
By restoring the full bio-cultural dimension to HS, Southern Cross University, Australia
neonaturalism opposes both positivistic and humanistic morganpollard@yahoo.com.au
reductionism.
Human survival is potentially our highest-level priority.
A key category - one focusing on the axiological conflict
between nature and culture, and one which humans used to The current century on several fronts is likely to be the mostdeny to other species - is that of the ‘soul’. Neonaturalism hazardous our species has ever faced. Evidence is mounting
expounds the origins of human spiritual abilities in terms of from ecology, environmental economics and international
the natural sciences, in accordance with the Darwinian legacy. relations that many collective human systems and behaviours,
Especially, I take the subject-matter of evolutionary seemingly adaptive over the short term, are likely to be selfethics/axiology to be the natural history of moral sensitivity defeating over the long term - a condition known in biology as

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

an 'evolutionary cul-de-sac'. There is now a window ofopportunity, of unknown extent, before certain unpredictableglobal thresholds may be reached, and beyond whichcatastrophic consequences become unavoidable. Broadest
interacting categories of risk include ecological risks (e.g.
resulting from current mass extinction event and instability of
ecological life-support services), technological risks (e.g.
weapons of mass destruction and convergence of genetics,
nanotechnology, robotics and information technology) andsocioeconomic risks (e.g. resulting from economic inequity,
over-production and over-consumption). The pace of change isaccelerating. An all too common psychological response tostressful information is denial, but even risks of apparently low
probability are essential subjects for research if theirconsequences are of high significance (i.e. they would result in
irreversible large-scale damage). It would be beneficial toidentify and rank components of such risks in a systematic way,using a variety of scientific tools and indicators, by theirmagnitude, significance and probable likelihood. Bioethics has
made fundamental contributions to our understanding of lifeand ethical behaviour, and can be made even more effective by
becoming acquainted with models and tools of environmental
science and sustainability theory. New applications of evolving
techniques in modelling and information technology (e.g.
expert systems, risk analysis, impact assessment, cost-benefit
analysis, geographic information systems etc.) will soon be able
to more precisely measure human priorities. Central to thesolution will be new global socioeconomic models able tosynchronize the powerful driving forces of market incentives
with the achievement of bioethical outcomes. Historically,
ethics has evolved from an anthropocentric and individualcentric viewpoint (concentrating on moral choice of theindividual). Considering that bioethics is serious about loving
life and saving lives of all kinds, there’s now increasing
potential for further spread of its wings, with more confidence,
to cover behaviours acted out at group or systems level (e.g.
national or corporate folly), larger conceptual scales (i.e.
generalised rather than specialised problems), larger spatial
scales (i.e. integrated global systems), and longer time-frames(prevention better than cure). Bioethics informed byenvironmental science has greater capacity to use the moral
authority it has been given in the medical sciences to address
larger-scale issues affecting the future of life and ultimately
human survival.

Inculcation of Environment-friendly Ethics as aPrerequisite for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh
Wardatul Akmam, Ph.D. 1, M. Shahjahan, Ph.D. 2, andFakrul Islam, Ph.D. 3
1Associate Professor, Department of Sociology,
University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
2Professor, Department of Philosophy,
University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
3Associate Professor, Department of Social Work,
University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
akmamprottoya@hotmail.com
Ethics consist of the moral principles that govern or
influence one’s conduct, and these ethics are usuallyembedded in the value system of a society. ‘Environmental
ethics,’ therefore can roughly be defined as the “humanattitudes and values that influence individual behaviour andgovernment policy toward nature” (Callicott 1995: 676).

According to the Brundtland report, sustainable development
is the ‘development that meets the needs of present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meet theirown needs.’ The report suggested for ‘policies that sustain andexpand the neutral environmental resource base’. In order toensure sustenance of the environment in achieving
development, inculcation of environment-friendly ethics
within the minds of the policy makers, practitioners andgeneral people is required. It is necessary to make sure thatpeople internalize the values, which correspond to thepreservation of the environment. The main theme of this paper
is that internalization of ethics relevant to protecting theenvironment and putting them into action by all human beings
is indispensable to achieve ‘sustainable development’. In thisrespect, this paper particularly focuses on the different aspectsof environment related situation prevailing in Bangladesh,which is impeding sustainable development in this country.
The agents, through which environment-friendly ethics can be
inculcated within individuals, include the family, the peergroup, religion, education, the mass media etc. Using theseagents, it is possible to embed pro-environment ethics within
the minds of individuals, (as it is the mind that guides ouractions) and ultimately achieve sustainable development. This
paper reflects on what environmental ethics is; the meaning ofsustainable development; major environmental concerns in
Bangladesh in her efforts towards development, and the ways
in which environmental ethics can be inculcated within themental set up of the people of Bangladesh so that they always
behave in environment friendly ways, ensuring “sustainable”
development in the country.

5. Ethics of High Technology
Should the precautionary principle be applied tonanotechnology
John Weckert, Ph.D.
Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics,
Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia
JWeckert@csu.edu.au
The precautionary principle (PP) has wide support and isthought by many to be a useful strategy for action, especiallyin the environmental and health areas. A recent report extends
the scope of the principle to include nanotechnology, artificial
intelligence and robotics. Here we do not argue that the PP
should be applied in any area of nanotechnology, merely that,
despite what is often claimed, it is a reasonable principle thatmakes sense.
We begin by clarifying the principle, giving the general
structure as:
If action A has some possibility P of causing harmful
effect E then apply remedy R. This is a generic formulation
only, and each of A, P, E and R are interpreted in various
ways in different actual formulations.
Action A is generally some scientific research or
technological or other development, e.g. research into anddevelopment of genetically modified crops, or some activity
such as discharging waste into a river.
Possibility P must be more than a logical possibility; itmust be an empirical probability. There must be somescientific evidence that A does or can cause E, even if thisevidence is very weak. Examples are that the GM crops cause
harm and that the waste causes the contamination.

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
Effect E is some serious or perhaps catastrophic or
irreversible harm.
Remedy R concerns the measures that should be taken to
avoid or minimise E occurring, e.g. halting or never starting
the research or the discharge.
Despite its wide acceptance, particular in Europe, andintuitive appeal, the PP is not without its strong critics. Herewe will consider four criticisms: problems with making
predictions about the consequences of research ordevelopments, the idea that the principle involves a paradox,
the seriousness of the predicted threats, and the nature of thepredicted harms.
Turning to the situation in nanotechnology we will
explore the relationship between the action A and the effect E,
and show that it is not to be the same in all discussions of the
PP even ignoring problems about the strength of the link.
Consider the following:
A. The use of nanoparticles in products will possibly
damage health.
B. Developments in nanoelectronics will endanger
personal privacy.
C. Nanotechnology research will possibly lead to thedevelopment of self-replicating robots and therefore thepossibility of the grey goo problem.
Each of these raise different issues and our argument isthat it is unhelpful to talk of applying the PP tonanotechnology research and development in general. But it
can be helpful if different types of cases are examined.
We next return to the criticisms of the PP raised
previously, and examine them in relation to thenanotechnology examples discussed, and argue that while careis needed in its formulation and application, the criticisms are
not compelling.
In conclusion, the PP is a principle with content that isreasonable to apply to certain research, development or
actions, but even just within nanotechnology itself, different
contexts will require different analyses of credible threats andrequire different remedies

Advances in Neuroscience and the Precautionary
Principle: What Can Bioscience-Bioethics Teach Us?
Irina Pollard, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia
ipollard@rna.bio.mq.edu.au
As our knowledge of the brain builds we are increasingly
capable of altering its function by correcting, or enhancing,fundamental brain operations that drive human consciousness
and behavior. Therefore, it seems appropriate to responsibly
integrate neuroscience and neuroethics into the foundations oflearning. That is; to consider the ethics now rather than wait
until innovative new technologies have been developed andput to use. Because of lack of knowledge, complex
technologies are characteristically applied with some level of
uncertainty. Uncertainty, however, is only acceptable when all
available knowledge is shared in order to promote and foster
informed choice. Informed decisions require that both thebenefits and risks of any service have been considered fairly
and not confused with the worth, or value, attached to any
particular outcome. Such a result can only be obtained incollaboration with professionals who are ethically required toassess risk-benefit equations posed by the application of their115

new science and technology. Neuroscience is an example
where the precautionary principle can be applied to advantage
because the principle’s key element is making health-related
decisions in the face of uncertainty (i.e., a lack of evidence ofharm does not imply safety). The precautionary principle is,therefore, a most useful tool to flag ignorance and uncertainty
about certain eventualities, and to hold policy until overall
scientific understanding of the problem has been gained.
Before new developments probe at our deepest thoughts,
define our complex cognitive behaviors and judge our rational
decision-making and consciousness, a precautionary approachshould provide sufficient protection to balance what isbiologically relevant and adaptive with what is not.
The presentation draws inspiration from recent advancesin brain fingerprinting, stem cell research and intracerebral
grafting and emphasizes that human health tempered with aprecautionary approach provides a practical common
framework for informed decision making.
Reference
The Bioscience-Bioethics Friendship Co-operative Web
Portal at http://www.bioscience-bioethics.org provides freeentry to relevant educational material.

Sensory Abilities Beyond Human
J. Mary Vimalakumari Kalaiarasi and M. Selvanayagam
P.G. & Research Dept. of Zoology, Loyola Institute of
Frontier Energy, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
drmssel@yahoo.co.in
Earthquakes bring vibrational changes on land and inwater while storms cause electromagnetic changes in theatmosphere. Some animals have acute sense of hearing andsmell that allow them to determine something coming towards
them long before humans might know that something is there.
The recent Tsunami has brought destructions ofapocalyptic proportions in South Asia. Nearly 150,000 lives
are lost. But the observed mortality rates in animals are
negligible. The way through which the animals escaped thedisaster remains unknown. However, with advanced scienceand technology to understand the drastic changes in theenvironment, the observation remains to say that animals
escaped the disaster through their sensory abilities developedin them beyond human capacity. Animals are believed to holda sixth sense and to know in advance when the earth is goingto shake, and it has been found true with unusual behavior in
the recent Tsunami.
It is possible that geographic upheavals create low
frequency sound that are not audible to us, but are detectable
to animals which can absorb and hear sound waves. Animals
might be highly sensitive to their environment but they also
look to other animals for cues that there is a danger.
The different types of unusual behaviors of animals andtheir sensory abilities to protect them from such disasters andthe reception of mechanical and other changes in theenvironment has given us a new line of thinking on various
aspects are discussed.

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

Benefits and ethical limits of transgenic animals
Mary Josephine Rani 1, and M. Selvanayagam 2
1Auxilium College, Vellore-6, Tamil Nadu, India
2P.G. & Research Dept. of Zoology, Loyola Institute of
Frontier Energy, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
josephineanto@yahoo.com; drmssel@yahoo.co.in
The major areas of research and development inbiotechnology are maturing at a rapid rate. Now we areentering into an era of hyper and self-directed evolution where
humanity is positioned to design and create entirely new
molecules, biochemical pathways, tissues, organ system andlife forms such as transgenic animals and as a result the
ethical and societal implications of these technologicaladvances may be staggering. There are undoubted benefits
from the use of the transgenic animals, it is important toensure that such systems do not cause problems of safety topeople and the environment or create unacceptable social,moral or ethical issues. Bioethics is concerned with theevaluation of the moral choices arising from man’sintervention with life. It assesses the risks and benefits related
to biological sciences and pursues to balancing individualautonomy with the duty and justice. Producing transgenic
animals throws up novel ethical questions since it represents
the human manipulation at the molecular level, of species andin transgenic specially the construction of new species
altogether. This may be seen as a fundamental transgressionof the integrity of an animal which is not justified byprojected and uncertain benefits to humans. Bioethics should
not be allowed to strangulate technological research, while atthe same time the latter can not be allowed to proceed
unscrutinized. Let us not forget that moral goodness of any
progress is measured by its benefits to humankind and thebenefits of biotechnology must outweigh the burden.
We must go ahead with an involvement in biotechnology
provided we are happy to exercise a delegated authority with
due reverence for the dignity of man.

Science, Technology and theContemporary Thai Novels
Pornvipa W. Chanakool,
Chulalongkorn Universit, Thailand
pornvipa_w@yahoo.com

Supernaturalnovels reflect that educated Thais, university graduated, thinkscientifically and neglect ideas or beliefs about thesupernatural.
However, some people, both educated and uneducated especially upcountry, still practice some activities dealing
with the supernatural. The main reason of those practices isfor securing some hopes which mostly are uncontrollable by
the practitioners. So, it is a mental reason rather than apractical one. Considering the social contexts, especially theshortage of government services, such as communication,
public health, and even education, these could be concluded
as causes why Thai people have to gain their hopes from thesupernatural instead of the scientific performance.
From cultural perspective many practices concerning thesupernatural are encultured and performed as special ways oflife in some communities. Even the elite has also to practicethose non-scientific traditions.
Moreover, it is foundfrequently in most of the studied novels that many practices
concerning the supernatural are added to Buddhist ritual andconfusingly performed. Buddhist teachings are the major
theme of most of the studied novels which many writerspresent them related to the supernatural.
Last but not least, the noticeable idea presented in many
novels written by the young generation writers is that bothscience and technology, on one side, and the supernatural, on
the other side, would equally perform important roles inadvanced science and high technology of the future. Most
writers express the hope that the present supernatural would
be scientifically proved or explained.

Applying Ethics in a Professional context: what can wehope to solve?
John Buckeridge, Ph.D.
Chair, Bioethics Committee,
International Union of Biological Sciences;
Director of Earth & Oceanic Sciences,
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealandjohn.buckeridge@aut.ac.nz

in

In the present scientific and technological era there arestill lots of superstitious ideas and practices spread widely.
Both western developed countries and oriental remote areas
seem sharing some thoughts and beliefs about the supernatural.
In Thailand, in contemporary Thai novels, many ideas about
science, technology and the supernatural are interestingly
reflected and show related factors that originate the ideas.
Three points are targets to be answered in this research, which
are: What are the real causes obstructed scientific thoughtpromotion in Thai society? Can Thai people neglect ideas
about the supernatural and accept scientific rules? Does thesupernatural have any special function for Thai people, so it isinherited and remains endlessly in Thai society?
From data analysis it is found that all the studied novels
promote scientific thoughts / thinking.
Many novels
negatively criticize ideas and practices concerning thesupernatural. Few novels propose neutral thoughts about
science, technology and the supernatural that can cause bothadvantages and disadvantages. In details contemporary Thai

In 2004, UNESCO hosted a series of meetings to develop
universal bioethical norms; the rationale for these meetings
being insidious global environmental degradation; at the April
2004 IBC meeting in Paris, development of ethical norms wasdifferentiated into two initiatives: human ethics (which waserroneously termed bioethics) and environmental ethics(dealing with the non-human aspects of our biosphere); I
opposed this division, on the basis that humans are of, rather
than distinct from, the biosphere; however, the decision to
pursue this approach was defended on the basis that any
holistic approach would be too complex, and would take toolong; twelve months on, we have moved to develop separate
protocols, although these are not, as yet, endorsed. I perceived
three broad groups of issues that currently face humanity,
resource focused, anthropocentric and environmental:
These are compounded by uncertainty regarding thenature (i.e. mechanisms and rapidity) of climate change, thepolitical (and economic) effects of endorsement of protocols
such as Kyoto, (including the acceptance of deals for‘emerging’ economic giants such as China). There is still thewidening gulf between the rich and poor nations, the later
often beset by poor governance, high population density,
poverty and poor human rights, the former by unsustainabledemographic change, security and diminishing strategicEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
resource supply (e.g. water, petrochemicals and electricity).
Professionals in any society are those individuals who are
fortunate enough to have higher education. It is clearly the
responsibility of this group to take even greater initiatives tosolve global issues; scientists and engineers alone will not
solve many of the current problems, but we can, and must,ensure mechanisms for dialogue exist whereby we can draw
upon the very best skills available to solve crises, for whether
or not we may wish it, we are now in crisis mode.

The current state of embryonic stem cell research in
Korea
Ivo Kwon, M.D.
Ewha Medical School, Republic of Korea
kivo@ewha.ac.kr
Last year in February, a group of Korean scientists led by
Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk cloned human embryo using “SCNT(Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) technique)”, from which
established human stem cell line. This research, for the firsttime, showed the possibility of producing “therapeutic stemcell” from cloned embryo. In May 2005, the same groupdeveloped a highly efficient recipe for producing cloned
embryo and extracting stem cells. This method opened theway of practical using of the stem cell therapy from cloned
embryo. In August, Dr. Hwang announced the first success ofcloning dog – named “Snuppy,” which has been considered as
almost impossible among scientists.
With these serial success of research, Dr. Hwang and hiscolleagues have risen as national hero and the “Top of all
Scientists in Korea.” The Korean government granted over$20.0 million to his team only for this year, and the amount offund will be growing. This amount of money is the largest one
as single subject research fund to bioscience in the history of
Korea. Over 90% of Korean praised his “success,” and hiscase is introduced as “greatest scientist” in young students’
textbook.
However, some experts in medical field are skeptical to theapplication of embryonic stem cells in clinical setting becauseof a lot of unsolved obstacles and risks to human. Bioethics
groups and some NGOs, although their influence is very
limited now, criticized his research for a number of ethicalissues. Korean Catholic Church is clearly against humancloning research.
In spite of all criticism, to most ordinary people in Korea,
Dr. Hwang is yet showed as national hero who will save
Korea from the current economic turmoil. The government
strongly supports his research with hope to take over the
future “huge” biotechnology market. In this context therelated bioethical issues are tend to be compromised, and clear
impartial discussion will be hardly taken. We have toseriously consider the impact of economism and nationalism
on ethically complicated biomedical researches.
Gender Foeticide: Exploring Beyond Medical Ethics
Jasdev Rai, M.D.
Sikh Human Rights Group, Medway Maritime General
Hospital, Gillingham, Kent. UK
jsrai100@yahoo.co.uk
Foetal foeticide based on gender selection has posed a major
problem for doctors, society, government and religious
institutions in the Punjab and other regions of North India. In

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2001 the highest seat of Sikhs, the Akal Takht at theHarmandar Sahib, announced an edict forbidding any
termination of pregnancy based on gender selection. The
Indian State has passed legislation to deal with it, Activist
groups have tried hard to stop foeticide, but it continues with
Punjab having almost the largest number of ultrasoundfacilities in India per 1000 population. The 0-6 years old
female to male ratio has steadily fallen in the Punjab andstands at 793: 1000 in 2001 against the national ratio of 927:
1000 female to male ration. In 1991 this ration was 875: 1000
in Punjab. No one quite knows how this will be reversed. It
poses some considerable questions about the ethics related to
medical opportunities and whether they should be freely
available. It also requires a multi-disciplinary approach thatsees the problem as wider than the scope of medical ethics
and brings in various civil society actors in a coordinatedapproach.

6. Ethics & Policy across the Pacific & Asia
Is there a ‘greater good?’ Ethics policies in the Pacific
Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop, Ph.D.
Social and Human Sciences Adviser,
Pacific UNESCO Office, Apia
peggy@unesco.org.ws
Ethics has a central place in Pacific’s indigenous
knowledge systems and processes: each daily event is seen
through a lens of ethical values, mores and codes of conduct
developed over the years.
Indigenous ethical systems
incorporate technical insights and wisdom-based observationsof natural, social and spiritual phenomena which in turn,validate place and identity as well Pacific survival as nationsin increasingly globalized societies. How do these indigenous
ethical systems reconcile with western systems which assume
a universality?
A number of Pacific strategies to develop a post-colonial
ethics discourse which is `Pacific in philosophy and locallygrounded in context’ will be presented for discussion. These
include a) Pacific women’s Pacific Platform for Action for
Sustainable Development (SPC 1996) b) The Code of Ethics(Journalism Association of Samoa) and c) The Vanuatu
Cultural Research Policy. These community-based examples
provide a starting point for the emerging debate regarding theneed for, role and nature of ethics policies in pacificuniversities
How do Chinese and Japanese patients characterize thegood nurse? A cross-cultural study of virtue ethics
Samantha M.C. Pang, Ph.D. and Michiko Yahario
Hong Kong, China
hsspang@inet.polyu.edu.hk; hsmichi@inet.polyu.edu.hk
This paper reports part of a cross-national research project
being conducted in China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan, whichsought to analyse how the concept of ‘the good nurse’ isarticulated within Asian cultural contexts and value sources.
Ethics grounded in principles emphasizes action. Character
ethics or virtue ethics emphasizes the agent who performs
actions. Being a good nurse is a fundamental part of nursing
ethics which is vital for nursing education. Since patients are
the recipients of nursing care, their ideas about the good nurse
are important not only for the patient’s welfare, but also fornursing education and nursing practice. Systemic study on this118

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

question is limited to the nurse’s perspective. A cross-cultural
analysis of the concept of “the good” in nursing practice willcontribute to the development of virtue ethics from an Asian
perspective.
This study aims to examine the perceptions of Chinesepatients about what makes a good nurse. In addition, these
Chinese data were compared with similar data from Japanesepatients to discover possible similar and different
characteristics of the good nurse. Based on the richdescriptions given by the Chinese and Japanese cancer
patients, van Kaam’s controlled explication method was
adopted to investigate the following: (1) the constituents of agood nurse grounded in the patients’ illness experience, (2)the cultural and social factors that underlie these patients’views, and (3) the differences and similarities among thesepatients’ views across the cultures.
‘Virtuous comportments’ and ‘virtues residing in a cultivatedheart’ are essential constituents emerged from the Japaneseand Chinese patients’ accounts of the good nurse respectively.
Both Chinese and Japanese patients experienced positivetransformation from the vulnerable state of being in theirencounters with the good nurse. The variability regarding thekinds of virtues that constitutes the good nurse in China andJapan are examined. Commonalities rooted in the Confucian
virtues of “cheng”, “ren” and “li” are observed, but withdifferent emphasis in the two countries.

Bioethical issues in intensive care nursing
Paungphen Choonhapran, RN, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing,
Chulalongkorn University, Patumwan, Bangkok, Thailand
paungphen.c@chula.ac.th
The explosion of medical science and technology in theworld has grown dramatic changes. Intensive care nurses are
responsible for the care of critically patients and those withcomplex illnesses.
Their most important care is thepreservation of their patients’ life. Psychological, emotionaland spiritual well being are the second priority for nurses.
However, for the patients themselves, psychological,
emotional and spiritual needs are the most needed. The
bioethical dilemmas in intensive care arise in various aspects.
Should elderly patients be admitted to intensive care? Should
terminally ill patients be excluded from intensive care? It is
not by principle but by practice that we usually accept patients.
However, when younger patients need the Intensive Care Unit
bed, what is the right thing to do? Visiting hours in ICU are
also a problem. The more the patients in ICU need support
from the family, the less they receive. The selections oftherapeutic regimens are from the physicians and the nurses.
The choice of “do not resuscitate” is still a dilemma. In rural
areas, where there are limited numbers of ventilators, which
patients are chosen to use them? Who are the patients thatshould be removed from the respirator? Beside patients’dilemmas there are intensive care nurses’ dilemmas. In
everyday life these nurses are faced with grief, suffering anddeath. They sometimes feel depressed sorrowful and have asense of loss. There are no systems to support them with thedilemma that the psychological status of nurses effects thequality care of critically ill patients. Who should takeresponsible for these issues?

Controversy over Medical Futility
Alireza Bagheri, M.D. 1, and Ryuichi Ida, Ph.D.
Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, Japan / Iranbagheria@yahoo.com‘Medical futility’ has been used increasingly byphysicians in clinical setting to reduce the inappropriate
application of medical interventions that are unlikely to
produce any significant benefit for the patient. References to
medical futility have a long history in the medical profession.
Plato and Hippocrates commented on the proper response ofphysicians and patients in the face of medical limitation.
The so-called problem of medical futility caused
controversy not only over how to define the concept of futility
but over its applications. Conflicts may arise when careproviders do not agree with patients or their families on the
point that requested therapies are in fact ‘beneficial’ and resist
such requests on the basis of medical futility.
The aim of this article is to analyze the contemporary
controversy over medical futility and to explore different
approaches to the futility debates, from those who deny theconcept of futility and believe that it was constructed as ameans of enhancing physician domination, to others who
insist that physicians should unilaterally refuse to provide
such care in which there is no benefit.
In conclusion, by recognizing the validity of the conceptof futility, authors try to limit its scope to the consensual
conditions which can be formulated by taking into account theopinions of all parties involved without any prejudice.
A Conception Risk in Decision-Making
Siriphen Piriyachittakornkit
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of arts,
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Siriphen.P@Chula.ac.th
The Committee on Risk Characterization of the U.S.
National Research Council proposes an idea of risk
characterization in “Understanding Risk: Informing Decisions
in a Democratic Society” (1996). Although the proposed idea
might sound good, in my opinion, there are some difficulties
when it is applied to the case of developing country in which
the scientific knowledge comes from abroad.
DNA Technology in Asia-Pacific: Scenario for 2015
Nares Damrongchai, Ph.D.
Policy Researcher, APEC Center for Technology Foresight,
Rajadhevee, Bangkok, Thailand
nares@nstda.or.th
This paper describes a foresight study of DNA
technology in the Asia-Pacific using scenario creation
methodology. It depicts the future of the region, withpathways towards that future, some strategic issues that we
may encounter, with a list of suggested policy initiatives
based on the findings of the study.
Here, foresight is applied to the rapidly developing areaof health sciences with particular emphasis on the links
between genetic makeup of people and their susceptibility todiseases, and the potential for development of new cures.
Rather than using projections from past trends, the researchers
employ scenario writing to develop possible futures of DNA
technology. This technique has been used in Europe from theviewpoint of identifying social research issues and the otherEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
from the viewpoint of standards and measurement and testing
requirements. The present study is aimed at a broader view ofpost-genomics and human health in the context of AsiaPacific.
The first stage in the development of scenarios is to
identify the major drivers of this future. This was done against
the five categories known as STEEP: social, technological,
economic, environmental and political. Participants identified,on 'Post-it' notes, the specific drivers they considered mostimportant. These were subsequently clustered into common
groupings.
The second stage involved the identification of the major
uncertainties which could change the pattern of developmentof human health treatment in the future. These uncertainties,
ranked according to the extent of their impact and uncertainty
were used to develop the parameters for highly distinct futurescenarios. Eventually three scenarios were developed, taking
the form of a family story, reflecting the operation of thevarious features of their future up to 2015.
This paper resulted from the project “DNA Analysis for
Human health in the Post-Genomic Era” conducted by APEC
Center for Technology Foresight, Bangkok, Thailand.
Awaiting Liberation of Animals from Experimental
Clutches?
A.D. Valsala 1, and M. Selvanayagam 2
1Sacred Heart College, Chalakudy, Kerala, India
2Professor, PG and Research Department of Zoology,
Loyola College, Chennai, TamilNadu, India
drmssel@yahoo.co.in
Recent advances in the field of biotechnology havebrought into focus several ethical issues. The modern
inventions in the fields of genetic engineering and related
fields of molecular biology will affect not only the plants andanimals but also the entire environment. It is wise to think
about the systematic study of human conduct in the area oflife sciences and health sciences and also moral values andprinciples existing during a particular period. People have theassumption that animals do not have rights and also they are
not ready to give their original rights which belong to them.
All must seek the truth with open minds and in fullconsciousness. Science as much as experience, teach us that it
is no longer possible to assume that animals are mere
machines or bundles of instincts and reflex; they have theirown rights to flourish in freedom or languish under
oppression. Our technological century serves to reinforce thelesson that the natural world is neither our property nor ourservant. Factory farming, the destruction of naturalenvironment and the introduction of novel scientificprocedures such as cloning, and xenotransplantation can
represent abuse of the interest of animals.
Observations on ESD, animal rights and culture
Masato Motoki
Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University
Yokohama, Japan
aileblue@hotmail.com
Experience from the study of the animal rights movement inJapan, and collective data of public awareness ofenvironmental issues, figured out that there is a clear distance
between knowing the issue and actually doing something
about it. Either the matter is widely recognized or not, just119

knowing or learning about the issue is not directly driving
people to make a change and would not ameliorate thesituation very much. For example, an animal rights
organization campaigns so that some audiences might beaware of the abandoned animals or animal testing for humans.
However this inspiration would not last for long, and does nothave much influence on the audience’s behavior. This can beseen in other ethical situations. In another part, some newtechnology need public understanding, like new
biotechnology-related therapies are often associated withinformed consent. Therefore, the public awareness andunderstanding is becoming increasingly important for the
ethical decision.
What sort of awareness makes people wish to make achange in the situation? In order to examine this query, I
organized a questionnaire addressed to both who have joined
animal rights movements and those who have not, focusing on
what made them aware of. In addition, I also conducted
another study by comparing the questionnaire on environment
for general public and hearing from people who joined
environmental education school. As a result, ‘learning fromthe real’ or ‘having real experience’ came out as importantfactors. I believe that learning from reality is also applied tothe education for bioethics and quite worthwhile to deepen
this study, and therefore, the further question was addressed,‘how can people meet this real experience?’ Learning fromreality, for most people I asked, was just incidental and not a
conducted process of education.
Here, in this talk, I would like to introduce a tentative
flow of decision-making ranging from the process ofrecognition to making an ethical decision as well as showing
some points to be concerned, derived from the studies andattending to NGOs and an EE (environmental education)school in Japan.
In short, some grass-roots efforts are certainly spreading
and beginning to bring influence on the public in many places.
For example, an organization is striving to make scientifictechnology close to the public by hosting local workshops orinviting them to a research place where technology is actuallyused; a student based group on ESD is working incollaboration with an NGO, conducting several activities formobilizing public awareness.
Although these grass roots organizations are gradually
taking part in the decision making, they need development tohave more powerful consequences. Human communicationand dialogues also have an important role and are to beconsidered. They would entirely harness the decision making
process, making it complex and producing much open mindedideas. Moreover, to satisfy the aim of conveying the new idea
and its implementation, a greater level of communication anddialogue is necessary.
Animal Rides and Ethics
Mary Vimalakumari Kalaiarasi and M Selvanayagam
P.G. & Research Dept. of Zoology, Loyola Institute of
Frontier Energy, Loyola College, Chennai, TamilNadu, India
drmssel@yahoo.co.in
Animal ethics is a complex subject and rational argument
about the right and wrong way to treat animals is made moredifficult by the deep love that many human have. It raises
fundamental questions to philosophers about the basis ofmoral rights. Higher animals have a moral status and there
are right and wrong ways of treating them. The term ‘non-Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)120

human animals’ has been used for clarity since the animal
kingdom is often taken to include humanity. Most animals,
after all have lived on their spans in sublime indifference tothe habits of those odd chattering bipeds with the removableplumage. Even if we had never existed they would still behere. We are just as accidental to them as they are to us.
Most animal rights activists are concerned withpreventing cruelty to animals thus ensuring animal welfare
required, providing for animal happiness as well as
eliminating suffering. The main controversies in animal ethics
are experiments on animals, rearing and killing animals forfood, rearing and culling animals for fur and leather goods,
hunting, entertainment, zoos, pet keeping, for races etc.
The real ethical issues are marriage, ethics of war,
Euthanasia, human cloning, genetic engineering, designer
babies and abortion as per the news. As Zoologists, what we
can do about the use of animals with ethics remains achallenge to us. If animal ethics are taken care of thencertainly animal rides will be totally eradicated.

Tuesday, 13 September
7. Medical Ethics and Education
Ethical views of first-year medical and nursing students ina joint bioethics course
Noritoshi Tanida, M.D.
Medical Humanities,
Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
tanida@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Ethical views of 85 medical and 53 nursing first-year
students were studied during a joint bioethics course.
Questions included "Would you treat a mentally ill mancondemned to death to fit him for execution?", "Should thedoctor inform a patient of a very rare fatal drug reaction?", "Isa criminal law suit against a surgeon responsible for a patient's
death reasonable?", and "Should a surgeon responsible for apatient's death be prosecuted for manslaughter?"; and to two
open questions regarding the beginning of human life andwhat the students considered as the most important ethicalissue. Medical students favored treating a condemned
mentally ill man more frequently than did nursing students.
More than 85% of all students endorsed full disclosure of
medical information.
While most students regarded acriminal law suit against the responsible surgeon asreasonable, significantly fewer medical than nursing students
thought that the responsible surgeon should be prosecuted for
manslaughter. The majority of students considered thathuman life began at fertilization. The most important ethicalissue nominated by medical students was brain death/organtransplant and by nursing students, assisted reproductive
technology. Thus, medical and nursing students at the
beginning of their professional education agree on some, anddiffer on other, ethical issues. It is hoped that joint student
courses on medical ethics will foster ethical sensitivity andstimulate and enhance future dialogue among healthcare
professionals.
An Earnest Appeal: We Need Spirituality in Medical
Education
Subrata Chattopadhyay, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology, B.P. Koirala,Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal

drsc@postmark.net
Historically medicine has been known as the science andart of healing. However, as modern medicine, during the lastcentury, yielded spectacular advances in scientific knowledge
and technologies, the language and methods of science have
gradually crowded the spectrum of medical education. Virtual
elimination of humanistic and philosophical dimensions ofhuman knowledge with little or no attention to addressing theemotional, ethical and spiritual issues has drastically changed
the science and art of healing, as hitherto known, to merely amechanistic ordeal to diagnosis and treatment. Patients
increasingly find their physicians not as healers but as
uncaring skilled technocrats. Not surprisingly, medical
educationhas
been
described
as‘mistraining’,‘dehumanizing’, or even ‘brutalizing’ by medical students.
Healthcare professionals today are, perhaps more than ever,confronted with issues that demand knowledge beyond the‘scientific’, such as value judgment and contentious
application of science and scientific procedure. They alsoneed to address emotional and spiritual needs of the patientsas they relate to disease, disability and death.
There is no structured curriculum on medical humanities,
ethics or spirituality as part of required training stipulated by
medical councils in Nepal and India. This paper argues infavor of inclusion of spirituality within medical curriculum tochange the scenario of ‘inhumanity of medicine’ and make it
more humane, holistic and compassionate. Inclusion of
spirituality will further expand the horizons of medical
education by adding the components of humanities and ethics.
Further, it will also help the future healthcare professionals tobetter address emotional and spiritual needs of the patients,and examine the association between religious involvement
and spirituality with health outcomes such as greater longevity,and better quality of life. The role of the physician as a healer,attending to mind, body and spirit, will thus be re-emphasized
by inclusion of spirituality within the medical curriculum.
Bioethics Education in Pakistan: Challenges and Prospects
Aamir Jafarey, Ph.D., and Farhat Moazam
Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture, Sindh Institute of
Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
aamirjafarey@gmail.com
Pakistan is a country of 150 million people and has 33
Medical Colleges or Universities, both in the public as well as
the private sector. According to a recent national survey by
one of the authors, 82% of the postgraduate and 65% of
undergraduate medical institutions expressed a desire toincorporate bioethics education in their curriculum(unpublished data). This is in lines with the directive from the
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the regulating body inthe country for medical practitioners. According to the same
survey, only a minority (5% postgraduate and 39%
undergraduate institutions) have some bioethics teaching intheir institutions. We believe an important reason for this isbecause Pakistan lacks human resources capable ofdeveloping and implementing even basic education inbioethics. Although the last decade has seen an increase inbioethics conferences mainly through personal efforts of a few
individuals, there has been no concrete effort to promotebioethics in the country at an institutional level.
Establishment of the Centre of Biomedical Ethics andCulture (CBEC) at the Sindh Institute of Urology andEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
Transplantation, Karachi, a public sector institute is the firstinitiative in the country to correct this deficiency. Inauguratedin October 2004, CBEC plans to promote bioethics education
through regular, organized activities. These include regular
one-day National Seminars, two to three-day Workshops andweek-long Conferences and Short Courses. The objective of
these varied educational programs is to introduce health care
professional and others to this rapidly developing field. From
January 2006 CBEC will also offer a one year Postgraduate
Diploma in Biomedical Ethics structured on a part time, oncampus and distance-learning format for mid career
professionals. This would be the first such program to beoffered in the country and it is hoped that graduates of thisprogram will spearhead bioethics initiatives at their own
institutions.
Bioethics Education in Sri Lanka: the Current Status
Anoja Fernando, Ph.D.
Professor, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
anojaf@yahoo.com
There are thirteen national universities in Sri Lanka, of
which six have medical faculties. The oldest, in Colombo was
the first to introduce the teaching of medical ethics to its
students, as a separate entity. Legal and professional ethics
had been dealt with in the Forensic Medicine syllabus fromthe inception of all medical faculties. The second medical
faculty in the University of Peradeniya took the initiative toestablish a Medical Education unit, which included medical
ethics in its regular courses on medical education for teachersof the medical faculties. While all six currently existing
medical faculties teach medical ethics to their students atsome stage of the medical course, the content, duration, andemphasis varies from faculty to faculty. The majority of
medical faculties are currently in the process of redesigning
their curricula and introducing new teaching methods, and theteaching of ethics is receiving the attention it deserves. In mypresentation I will briefly describe the status of ethics
teaching in the faculties of medicine.
While ethics teaching is established to a certain extent in
the medical faculties, the other faculties in the universities
have not yet introduced the teaching of bioethics in to theircurricula. A National Bioethics Committee was set up in 2003,
under the aegis of the National Science Foundation. One ofthe objectives of this committee is to encourage and facilitate
the introduction of bioethics into the science based curriculaof all the national universities. Funding has been requested
from UNESCO for this project. In my presentation I will also
describe the steps taken so far by the National Bioethics
Committee to achieve this objective, and the constraints facedby the universities.
Progress Report: Development of case study materials forteaching research ethics
Juraporn Pongwecharak
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Prince of Songkla
University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand
pjurapor@pharmacy.psu.ac.th
Including research ethics as a subtopic in researchmethodology for graduate students in health sciences in the
School of Pharmacy has been commenced in recent years.
Various means have been used for discussion, i.e., films and121

case studies representing ethical dilemmas, as well asinternational guidelines on research involving humans. For thecase studies, all were from western examples. The project’s
objective was thus to develop case studies associated with aThai context, as a tool to teach research ethics in the school. It
was also expected that the cases would be distributed forothers to use as appropriate.
Individual interview with researchers in various research
fields involving human subjects, as well as participants inresearch was conducted to cover as many ethical issues as
possible. The cases were then fictitiously written and tested
for feasibility of use among a sample of graduate students andlecturers/researchers.
Currently, four case studies were drafted based on thecontent drawn from the interviews with 9 active researchersand 10 volunteers in a drug study. The cases represented aclinical study of herbal products in HIV (+) patients, a study
in healthy male volunteers for a pharmacokinetics study of a
local brand sustained release antihypertensive medication, a
study of mutated gene related to cervical cancer in Thai
women, and a study of efficacy of anti-retroviral regimen inprevention of vertical transmission of HIV from mother tochild.
Acknowledgement: The project was part of ASEAN-EULEMLIFE project.
Ethics in Paramedical Studies- Mapping a New Agenda
Sr. Daphne Furtado M.Sc.;Ph.D 1 and Karuna Ramesh
Kumar M.D,Ph.D 2
1Academic Counsellor,; 2Professor and Paramedical Coordinator, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, India
dviveka@vsnl.net; karunark@yahoo.com
The importance of ethics in paramedical areas isincreasing today due to quantum leaps in technology. Thereis a paradigm shift from clinical examination based treatment
to investigations based treatment which increases theimportance of role and responsibility of the paramedical
personnel. To assess the level of awareness and applicationsof bioethics in paramedical students, first year students ofMedical Laboratory Technology, Renal dialysis, Perfusion
and Radiography were included. A 15 hour - semi structured
preliminary program spread over a period of six days was
conducted. The topics included Introduction to Ethics,
Respect for Life and Confidentiality, with case studies which
involved the decision making process applied to ethicaldilemmas encountered in practice. Prior to, and after, theprogram the students’ approach to problems was assessed.
The findings demonstrated that students do have a certain
level of ethical awareness and perceived the knowledge of
ethics as essential to discern between right and wrong.
However, they lacked insight into the fundamental principles
of bioethics. The students relied on the logical reasoning of
the matter, utilizing common sense, in addition to theirpersonal morals, to address the ethical dilemmas which werehighlighted in the practical case study discussed.
They were neither aware of the financial pressures, which
can be a tangible obstruction to ethical behavior, nor of thelegal aspects. The students’ age, different economic, religious,
cultural and educational backgrounds as well as their varying
exposure to environments are probably factors influencing
their decisions. It is suggested to introduce ethics oflaboratory practice/ paramedical studies as a part of thecurriculum, this can have an impact on the health care of122

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

patients. The details of the curriculum including topics and thehours required will be discussed.
To Accomplish the Life Education Mission throughHaving Bioethics Courses in Medical School
Dena Hsin Hsin-Chen, Ph.D.
China Medical University
dena-hsin@umail.hinet.net
In Taiwan, the Ministry of Education has been devoted tofacilitating Life Education Programs since 2001. However,many of these programs focused only on education at a highschool and middle school level. The public education anduniversity level education are still undeveloped.
Life education includes bioethical learning. In order tohave a sustainable future life we need to promote bioethicalmaturity of society to balance the benefits and risks ofapplications of biological or medical technology. Recently,
the social and ethical issues raised by the use of modern
biotechnology are being more widely discussed across theworld. University students of all disciplines, especially for
medical school, need to make ethical decisions on how theyuse science and technology products.
This presentation is aimed to share the idea of having
bioethics courses in medical schools and the experience ofprevious class trials. In general, this course has been justified
in that the materials are beneficial to university medical
students in the sense of enhancing students’ bioethicalmaturity as well as learning motivation in English learning.
We have found that the teaching materials are suited foruniversity level in Taiwan, in particular the full length
chapters. Because of this, it is coordinated with the generalaim of Content-Based approach of second language teachingin medical university and is a favorite as an ordinary elective
course in the general education program. In addition, learningfrom team work was encouraged as a way to approachbioethical deliberation in university classes. In accordancewith the method of autonomous learning, students weregrouped into several teams and were given the freedom toselect the chapter they felt most interesting to work on andpresent in class. The text book material - “Bioethics for
Informed Citizens across Cultures” was used as a main
structure of teaching, however students should not just follow
the texts, some basic reading and illustrations can be searched
for from the web-site resource as supplementary materials forthis course. Finally, as faculty of a university we should finda way to examine the effectiveness of Bioethics education andthe interdisciplinary education which can integrate science,
ethics and language as an ordinary course of general
education in medical school.
Biomedical Ethics Education in post-communist Eastern
Germany
Heiko Ulrich Zude, Ph.D.
Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena,
Lehrstuhl Angewandte Ethik, Jena, Germany
heiko.zude@uni-jena.de
Based on its socialist history, biomedical ethics educationin Eastern Germany is faced with different socio-cultural
premises and world views than in West Germany. The
normative guidelines for biomedical ethics education in theunited Germany nevertheless were created from a backgroundof ‘Western’ values. Therefore it is difficult in Eastern

Germany to mediate those normative concepts that are
directly or indirectly related to liberal and/or Christian values.
I will consider the claim that an appropriate mediation ofcentral concepts like that of ‘Informed Consent’ can only beachieved with a tentative normative biomedical ethics
especially taking into consideration individual rights in order
to counterbalance materialistic and collectivistic thinking. In
2002 it was determined that in order to receive the licence topractise medicine in Germany a biomedical ethics education
has to be absolved during the study of medicine. In order to
put this regulation into practice the "Academy for Ethics in
Medicine" worked out several aims of such an education.
They are to a large extent accepted as a curriculum.
According to those aims the task of biomedical ethicaleducation is a) to mediate general knowledge, skills andcapabilities, attitudes and views and b) to mediate a special
biomedical ethical knowledge of 11 different fields. Apartfrom these formal aspects of the requirements for a medical
study that East and West Germany have in common, there arestill differences between East German and West German
students. In a survey concerning medical relevant topics,
namely abortion and euthanasia the results varied significantly.
Those results of the East German inhabitants also need to beinterpreted against the background of a socialist socialisation.
A relatively high approval of a more generous handling ofabortion and active euthanasia by request becomes more
understandable considering the teachings of materialism andcollectivism that are typical for socialist systems. Those world
views are different to the central values of ‘Western’biomedical ethics that are deeply grounded in intuitions of the‘sanctity of life’ as well as the respect for the autonomy of theindividual, those convictions that also dominate the value of‘human dignity’. For the biomedical ethics education in
Eastern Germany this raises the question how it is to berealized if there is no common basis of certain normative
concepts given. This is the point where a decision for anormative or descriptive style in biomedical ethics needs to be
made. Under those circumstances I would argue for a tentative
normative orientated biomedical ethics that communicates atleast the liberal basics for central biomedical ethical concepts.
Ethics Education in Medical Curriculum: Interns’
perspectives
A. Nalini, Ph.D. and G. Srinivas
The Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University,
Chennai, India
nalinianna@yahoo.com
Formal Training in Medical Ethics is a felt need in
Undergraduate Medical Education. The objectives of thisstudy were to analyse the current ways and experiences oflearning medical ethics by Medical students and interns, andmake recommendations, in order to facilitate planning formal
ethics curricula for medical undergraduate students.
A survey was conducted in four major medical collegesin Tamilnadu, a southern state in India. Data were collectedfrom interns undergoing training after completing their fourand half year MBBS course using a structured Questionnaire.
184 participants were asked.
68% of the interns felt that they had opportunities to learn
about Ethics in their MBBS course and were able to discuss
the ethical issues with the faculty. Most of them cited
Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine as specialties
where they learned about ethical issues. 75% wanted Medical

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
Ethics as a separate subject as study of ethics will have an
impact in improving professionalism. The preferred teaching
methods were Seminars, clinical teaching and lectures.
However most felt that the teaching should be through all thephases of study for undergraduates covering topics like patientautonomy, Ethical theories, code of Medical ethics, rights andduties of Doctors, cost constraints for patients, collection offees by doctors, Doctor-Doctor relationship, etc. They
identified oral presentation, quizzes and MCQs as ways ofevaluating more than essays or short answer questions .The
influence of role-models has been emphasised.
A significant finding from the survey is that majority of
the interns felt the need for formal ethics training forundergraduates.

Bioethics Education in Tertiary Settings – The Universityof Malaya Experience
Maude Phipps, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
phipps@um.edu.my
Biotechnology and biological sciences have emerged as
the focal points in the development agendas of many Asian
countries this century. Inherent within these agendas areactivities related to agriculture, biotech business development,
manufacturing, medicine, education, research and so forth.
Malaysia, a rapidly developing country has not been left
behind. Its’ status as a ‘mega biodiversity’ hub has led thegovernment to push for programmes that would takeadvantage of these resources. At the same time there isawareness that in line with these rapid developments, ELSI
(Ethics, Legal and Social Implications) issues are important.
The University of Malaya celebrates it centenary this year.
It is the oldest tertiary institution in Malaysia and has its
foundation in the establishment of the King Edward VII
Medical School in 1905. The Faculty of Medicine conducts
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in medicine,surgery, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, radiology,
physiotherapy and medical laboratory science. Over the years,
the faculty has produced the majority of medical and allied
health professionals in the country. In the 1990s, the faculty
realized that apart from intellectual ability, medical
competence and ability to fit into the healthcare industry, its
graduates should also have proper training in biomedical
ethics.
In 1998, that the faculty introduced the new integrated
medical curriculum and within it, a personal and professional
development module. This 30 hour module covers the last
three phases of medical education and students are introduced
to the concepts of ELSI in theory and practice. In 2003,
bioethics was designated a core subject for all other
undergraduate courses in the faculty. Research activities
remain a large component of the faculty which are biomedical
sciences concerns itself with many human issues, and there isa need for biomedical professionals to understand ethicalissues so as to be able to conduct activities and research in a
responsible manner. The course gives students an overview ofthe philosophy of ethics and provides insights into a numberof ethical issues such as research and data integrity,
publication ethics, responsible use of animals forexperimentation, cloning, eugenics, genetic screening,
reproductive technologies, telemedicine and intellectual

123

property. Discussion and debate among students areencouraged and it is hoped that we will produce graduates
who are more aware of the impact of science on society.

8. Bioethics for All & South-South Dialogues
The Study of Bioethics and Interdisciplinarity
Soraj Hongladarom, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts,
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
hsoraj@chula.ac.th
Is bioethics essentially an interdisciplinary enterprise?
What exactly is meant by 'interdisciplinarity'? By its naturebioethics involves many traditional disciplines, but what
exactly is this thing called ‘bioethics’? Is it just a collective
noun referring to a hodgepodge of different materials, lumped
together because of convenience? Or is there something thatlinks all these together to form a unity?
I would like to argue in this paper that bioethics is always‘interdisciplinary’ in that one always relies on the insights,
methodologies and results from the established academic
disciplines. As a result, a program of study in bioethics
necessarily comprises collaborative work from many different
fields. Corollary to this is that proposal that research inbioethics is not possible if the researcher is not steeply
grounded in one of the more traditional disciplines that formthe ‘home base’ of the study. In this case bioethics exists over
and above the traditional disciplines and cannot exist
independently of them. In the talk I will try to show somereasons why I believe all this is the case.
Responses to Bioethics education Across Cultures – A
survey to assess the bioethical need across Social Strata in
Tamil Nadu, India
Jayapaul Azariah 1 and Preethi Azariah 2
1Founder President; 2Cyber Ethicist
All India Bioethics Association, Chennai, India
jazariah@yahoo.com
A new project was launched by Prof Darryl Macer and a
textbook was produced entitled "Bioethics education for
informed citizens across cultures" This project aims to
produce teaching materials for bioethics education. This paper
presents results from Tamil Nadu India.
In response to a global need for such materials, it ishoped to produce a textbook that could be used in school anduniversity classes to teach about bioethical issues. For thispurpose it is necessary to assess the need of each sector of asociety. The textbook produced in this project is being tested
in other countries like China, Japan, the Philippines andTaiwan. During the year 2004 an attempt was made to test the
text across a range of disciplines and social strata so as toobtain the bioethical mindset of students and elders. The
results are reported in this paper in sharing of teachingmaterials and class trials to teach students to cope withbioethical, environmental and medical ethics issues.
Class trials were carried out in the following sectors ofsociety, at Chennai and Dharmapuri District in Tamil Nadu.
In the former, the students were drawn from Higher
Secondary and Matriculation schools, University Students
from Anna University of Technology, Retired Fisheries
Scientists, members of the Study Centre, Madras Diocese,124

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

Church of South India and a few other centers of higher
education.
Two types of questionnaire were given to the participantsof the class trials: (i) a list of about 28 topics which are ofbioethical importance and a copy of the response sheets foundin selected topics from the Bioethics Education for Informed
Citizens across Cultures. The respondents were also asked toprioritize their current need in acquainting themselves withany five of the 28 bioethical topics listed. The paper provides
comparative results of the class trials and suggests a few
recommendations before adopting the text for global use.

Impulse of ethical research in life science and healthsystems as foundation of development in Sub-SaharanAfricaBlaise Bikandou MD, PhD
Director, Department of Preventive Medicine and Clinical
Trials,National Laboratory of Public Health, Brazzaville, Congo
Blaise.Bikandou@umassmed.edu
Health related issues in most of sub-Saharan Africancountries remains preoccupant. At least, half of the 6 millions
of annual deaths in the population of children worldwide
occur in Africa where the mortality among mothers giving
birth is about 1000/100,000 versus 8/100,000 in Japan. Up to
70% of people infected by HIV/AIDS and 2 out of 3 persons
infected with TB in the world live in Africa. Health policy has
mostly been defined in terms of reducing the burden of
sickness and premature death. The first major international
policy endorsing such view was the “Alma Ata Declaration”
of the late 1970s, which prioritised measures that aimed toprevent the sickness and the treatment of common diseases.
Unfortunately, after twenty years of its implementation, it
appeared that these strategies have failed to solve the problem
in sub-Sahara Africa.
The health system dysfunctions coupled to the economic
disparities and iniquities remain a real challenge for years tocome. The identification of obstacles and implementation ofhealth research activities are critical requirements for Africa.
Indeed, in the context of globalization, the market economy,
the increase of the “north/south 10/90 gap” and with Africa
marginalization, it is unrealistic that without any adapted
research, efficient solutions improving technical and scientificdevelopment in Africa could be reachable.
We will present how the strategies likely to contribute toimprove the sanitary situation in Sub-Saharan Africa should
be based on the implementation of scientific and ethical healthsystems. Moreover, we will also present how a better
understanding of health system components and working
could strengthen the performance of health care and lead to asustainable development of Africa. We will emphasize thenecessity of making tools that link research, action and thenevaluation of the population well-being. Finally, we will
present how taking in consideration and integration ofanthropological, socio-cultural and economical specificities ofAfrica to promote ethical research might lead to the effective
input on people living in Africa.

Ethical Issues in the Face of Scarce Resources
M. K. Tadjudin, Ph.D.
National Bioethics Committee, Jakarta, Indonesia
tajudin1@indosat.net.id
Indonesia is still having economic difficulties resulting
from the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s and the recent
rise in oil prices. This situation results in diminishing
resources for all public services including public health.
Ethical resource allocation decisions about public health arecomplex. It introduces the ethical dimensions of decision
making as concerns accountability and resource allocation.
Additionally, it presents a recommendation for the use of
distributive justice in the allocation of scarce resources. It is
important that Indonesia develops and implements a resource
allocation policy in health care that also takes into
consideration the ethical aspects of allocation of scarce
resources.
Six ethical principles are relevant for health care leaders.
They are: beneficence, non-malifecence, respect for persons,justice, utility, and truth telling. In the field of medical ethics,
the fundamental principles that guide decision making areautonomy, beneficence, and justice. Policy-makers, managers
and providers who face difficult resource allocation decisions
may find distributive justice useful in making difficult
decisions.
The use of ethical principles in decision making by healthcare providers, policy-makers and managers varies depending
upon the context. Among providers, consideration for privacy,
individual liberty, and freedom of choice is usually focused on
the individual. Among policy-makers, managers, and in publichealth, autonomy, the right of privacy and freedom arerecognized as long as they do not result in harm to others.
From a public or organizational perspective, autonomy may
be subordinated to the welfare of others or to society as awhole. Each represents a different context.
The principles of resource allocation in the face of scarce
resources should be: priority setting, rationing based onpriorities, and sustainability, while always keeping in mind
the ethical aspects.

Challenges for gender studies in the era of ever-growing
development of biology
Tran Han Giang, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Family and Gender Studies,
Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam
thgiang@fpt.vn

The Teaching of the Ethics of Science and Technology inAfrican Universities
Prof. Kwami Christophe Dikenou, Ph.D.
Ethiciste, Université de Lomé, Togo
kdikenou@tg.refer.org
The ethical problems related to the ‘omnipresence’ oftechno science in human existence, which the International
Community becomes more and more aware of in those lastdays doesn’t spare Africa. If this Community, through
UNESCO, admits that the teaching of the ethics of scienceand technology constitutes a solution one cannot evade, thenthis activity cannot be considered in African universities as a

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
luxury but rather a necessary task to promote and reinforce
through International Cooperation.
Informed Consent in Health Research: Current State ofKnowledge among Physicians in Bangladeshi Perspective
M Mahmud Hossain 1, M Al Mamun 2, K Selim Anwar 3, M
Saidur Rahman 4
1MBBS, MPH, Public Health Physician & Bacteriologist
2MBBS, MPH, PGTrng (China), Public Health Physician &Bacteriologist
3MD (USSR), M Phil (England), PGTrng (Japan), Public
Health Physician & Bacteriologist (Currently working in
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Lien)
Epidemiology Unit, Microbiology Laboratory Section,
Institute of Public Health (IPH), Dhaka, Bangladesh
4MBBS, MPH Student, Department of Epidemiology,
National Institute of Preventive & Social Medicine(NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh
mamamun@bdonline.com
Obtaining informed consent from human subject remains
a mandatory ethical procedure in bio-medical research. We
conducted a cross-sectional study among Bangladeshi
physicians to assess their level of knowledge in this particularcomponent of bioethics. A total of 46 medical doctors wereinterviewed and given a structured (Likert scale based)
questionnaire during January–February 2005. While all(100%) of them agreed that informed consent is essential,
only 65.3% agreed to that strongly. The majority (60.9%) ofthem opined in favour of informed consent both in oral andwritten form, while only 21.7% suggested it to be in written
only. More than 58.7% were not aware of an important aspectthat consent forms need to be submitted for ethical clearance.
Moreover, 39.1% did not know that study-subjects reserve allrights of withdrawing themselves from the study, anytime. Allof them opined that study subjects should have the rights toknow the purpose of
research. Though 8.7% remained
confused whether all possible risks/hazards to the subjects areto be mentioned clearly in informed consent, however a
maximum (91.3%) of them were aware of it. While 32.6%
were uncertain if informed consent should include the termsof compensation in case of loss, disability or death of study
subjects, but more than half (54.3%) strongly opined in favourof that. Most of them (95.7%) either strongly agreed or justagreed that, the well-being of study subjects should beprioritized over the interest of science. However, only 4.3%
disagreed to this. Interestingly, all of the physicians opinedthat the study-subjects should be ensured confidentiality
and/or anonymity. Findings of this pilot study (Likert scale
scoring) revealed that, though most of the physicians werefamiliar with ‘informed consent’, many of them did notpossess sufficient knowledge on this key component. Thus,
Bangladeshi physicians need to be trained on such ethicalissues more.
Governance of Donor Insemination
Ken Daniels, Ph.D.
Department of Social Work, University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New ZealandKen.daniels@canterbury.ac.nz
Donor insemination (DI) presents an intriguing example
of governance issues in Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR).
For most of its over 100 year history DI was seen as a private

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matter concerning only the doctor and the patient couple. For
the last 25 years however, governments in most westerncountries have taken an increasing interest in this and all areasof AHR. The move from a private model to a public model
has met with strong resistance from the medical profession.
Following
numerous
government
appointed
investigations/inquiries, there has been a progressive move forcountries to legislate regarding DI practice. The major focusof this legislation has centred on the rights/needs ofchildren/offspring to have access to genetic information
concerning ‘their’ semen donor. There has been extensive
controversy regarding this issue with two dominant
approaches being adopted. The first approach which is basedon a right/justice/ethical perspective tries to examine thevarious parties – parents, offspring, and donors – needs.
There is debate about how competing needs can be met. The
second dominant approach is based on pragmaticconsiderations. This approach contends that if donors have tobe identified to ‘their’ offspring when adults, then donors will
not be prepared to donate, the service will not be able to beoffered and infertile persons will be disadvantaged. In the last
20 years a handful of governments have decided thatlegislation is necessary to resolve and clarify these issues.
The advent of legislation has not meant that the debate
has ceased, in fact it has become more intense. The strengths
and limitations of legislative intervention will be examinedthrough the experiences of two countries, Sweden and New
Zealand.

Is the era of the therapy by tailor-made stem cell coming?
Miyako Okada-Takagi, Ph.D.
University Research Center, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
miyakot@adm.nihon-u.ac.jp
Therapeutic cloning may result in immunologicallycompatible replacement tissues in severe degenerative or
inherited diseases like Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, cystic
fibrosis and other diseases. In Japan, the Council for ScienceandTechnology
Policy's
bioethics
subcommittee
recommended in June 2004 that scientists be conditionallyallowed to use cloned human embryos for research purposes.
The international community has been divided over the
ethics of therapeutic cloning. Advocates list the development
in regenerative medicine as a major benefit of allowing thecloning of human embryos, while opponents argue that it canbe used to clone humans and that using embryos as a researchtool is wrong. The United Nations tried to weigh in on thedivisive issue by proposing universal research regulations, but
was unable to have consensus
In May 2005, the South Korean scientist announced that
he had created the first Embryonic Stem (ES) cells thatgenetically match injured or sick patients. The match means
ES cells are unlikely to be rejected by the body's immune
system. Researchers hope the cells eventually can be used to
repair damage from disease. In order to accomplish thisexperiment, the eggs were retrieved from 18 volunteers, andtotal of 185 eggs were donated. Researchers got 31 embryosfrom which they tried to extract stem cells and managed to
produce 11 ES cell line. When he derived the first humanstem-cell line from a cloned embryo in February 2004, he
used 242 eggs donated from women to create only one ES cellline. Striking aspect of his latest study is that he was able toEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

126

significantly increase the efficiency of his technique. He
brought the average number of tries down to 17.
We worry that women's health will be placed at risk
because creating embryos takes many donated eggs. Even if
the new study decreases the amount of eggs necessary, this is
still going to have women on the line as part of the production
process. And as the technique brings the therapy much closer
to reality, it will actually increase demand for eggs.
As scientific technology advances, we are increasingly
forced to make difficult decisions. Although new technology
can potentially be a solution to unsolved problems, it can leadto unexpected side effects when applied. Therefore bioethics
becomes a more essential component of science.

Wednesday, 14 September(All day field visit at Kasertsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus)
9. Biotechnology and Bioethics
Transgenic papaya resistant to viral disease: a study forcrop improvement in Thai papaya
Kanokwan Romyanon1, Paveena Kasemsin2 and Supat
Attathom3
1
National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology,
Thailand2
Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Kasetsart University,
Kamphaengsaen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
3
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture,
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen campus,
Kamphaengsaen, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
Genetic transformation has been applied to produce papaya
plants that withstand viral disease, namely papaya ringspot
virus (PRSV), which is a major constraint in papaya
production. PRSV resistant cultivar was not possible throughconventional breeding technologies for commercial lines of
papaya. Thai papaya, Khak Dum (commercial cultivar), wastransformed via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation withdifferent chimeric constructs containing either the coat protein(CP) or replicase (NIb) genes of PRSV, Thai isolates, for an
introduction of PRSV resistance into papaya genome. Fourconstructs derived from PRSV genes were CP gene of PRSV,Suphan Buri isolate, NIb gene of PRSV, Suphan Buri isolate,
CP gene linked with inverted repeat of CP gene, Suphan Buri
isolate and NIb gene of PRSV, Nakhon Pathom isolate. From
screening for PRSV resistant lines, our results are similar to
those from previous studies where resistance to PRSV was
obtained in transgenic papaya using these viral genes. To
date, 42 putative transgenic lines were regenerated anddetermined the presence of transgene in papaya genome by
PCR. Among these lines, 40 transgenic lines representing thefour transgene constructs were evaluated for PRSV resistanceby inoculated with several PRSV, Thai isolates. To date, 19transgenic lines were challenged with PRSV isolates andshowed PRSV resistance. It was noticed that all lines fromCP transgene with inverted repeat sequences (pMON 65303)
were the promising transgenic papaya resistant to PRSV
isolates from different geographic regions in Thailand.

Delayed ripening characters associated with geneticallymodified papaya (Carica papaya L.) with antisense ACC
oxidase
Parichart Burns, Suwanna Bandee, and Orawan Kumdee
Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon
Pathom, Thailand.
A gene in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway in papaya, 1aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase (CP-ACO1),
was cloned in an antisense orientation and used to transgenic
papaya somatic embryos by particle bombardment. Fourtransgenic lines; PD/8, PD/90, PDY/138 and PDY/147 weregrown in a screen house and fruit harvested. Four criteria
including shelf life, ACC oxidase expression, ethylene
production and total soluble solid (TSS), were used todetermine the fruit ripening characters. The results indicatedthat all four lines had significant longer shelf life (p<0.001)
than non-transgenic papaya. Northern analysis showed that
the CP-ACO1 expression was suppressed. As a result, theethylene production of transgenic papaya fruits was 34 – 41%of the production in non-transgenic papaya fruits.
Biosafety study of GM papaya in Thailand
Wichai Kositratana
Department of Plant Pathology, Kasetsart University,
Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Papaya has been introduced to Thailand around 200 years
ago. Papaya become a popular fruit in the Thai life style andcaning industry. However in the last 20 years, papaya
production in Thailand faces the problems. The major
problem is papaya ringspot disease which seriously damage tothe infected plants. Several of control measures have beentrialed with a limited success for controlling. Kasetsart
University, BIOTEC and Queensland University ofTechnology have joined to work on this problem since 1987.
Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) resistant plants were generated
by using genetic transformation techniques with PRSV coatprotein gene. Recently tests, the R4 generation of transgenic
papaya perform well and resistant to the most of PRSV
isolates in Thailand. In order to release this GM papaya to theenvironment,
the studies involving the risks andconsequences of gene transfer and food safety needed to beaddress. Biosafety study of GM papaya frameworks arefollowing the National Biosafety Guideline which including
biological and ecological effects to papaya and the risk andconsequences of gene flow into the environment. Thisscientific informations, hopefully, will help the policy
markers to make decission on the future of Biotech Crop in
Thailand.
The Transgenic Thai Papaya Story – A Milestone ofThailand toward a Biotech Crop Country
Pahol Kosiyachinda, Ph.D.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,
Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
tepkx@mahidol.ac.thThailand is taking actions toward the deregulation of its
first biotech crop. Papaya is a model system for several
upcoming transgenic fruit crops in several countries. To help
manage the problems of the Thai farmers whose papaya
production has been diminished by Papaya ringspot virus, acollaboration between Thailand’s Department of AgricultureEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
and Cornell University, where the first virus-resistanttransgenic papaya in the world was developed, wasestablished. The goal of this collaboration was to transfer thetechnology and to engineer a virus-resistant papaya for
Thailand. In 1997 at Cornell University, USA, the Thai
papayas were transformed by Thai researchers with the help
and technology of New York State Agricultural Experiment
Station. In the same year, the first transgenic Thai papayas
with engineered resistance to the virus were brought back toThailand. Before any release of transgenic crops, thegovernment requires biosafety information. The Departmentof Agriculture has set up Khon Kaen Horticultural Station,
Thailand, to be the center of the study on these transgenic
papayas. In 2004, biosafety regulations were questioned by anon-governmental organization. The governmental agencies
needed to answer those questions and to clarify the concerns
to the public before continuing the deregulation process. Thus,
it is essential that the scientists and those who know andunderstand this technology speak up and make relevant
information accessible to the public.
Description of Thai indigenous chicken plumage colour
and broodiness using classical and molecular genetics
Voravit Siripholvat
ThailandIs there a Need or Space for Gene Technology Ethics: An
Australian Perspective
Don Chalmers, Ph.D.
Professor Don Chalmers Chair Gene Technology Ethics
Committee, Australia
Don.Chalmers@utas.edu.au
The Japanese futurist, Taichi Sakaiya, has described the
movement of advanced economies from production toknowledge-based industries. Biotechnology is a classicalexample of a knowledge-value industry that is widely
supported by the OECD as a basis for future employment andwealth for advanced nations. Australia has drawn up its own
biotechnology: national strategy in which it states that“consistent in safeguarding human health and ensuring
environment protection, that Australia capture the benefits ofbiotechnology for the community, industry and environment”.
The National Strategy was developed with regard tointernational standards. Equally, the National Strategy
acknowledges the emergence and development ofenvironmental ethics. The environmental ethical principles thathave emerged are expressed in both familiar and new terms,
such as care and protection of the environment, respect forbiodiversity, the precautionary approach (see Article 15
Convention on Biological Diversity), sustainability and natural
ecosystems
The Gene Technology Act, 2000 establishes the regulatory
framework for the licensing of dealings with genetically(modified organisms (GMOs) in Australia. The Act sets down
a comprehensive and rigorous system of scientific assessmentof risks and the development of a Risk Management Plan toaddress any identified risk.
The Act also includes
comprehensive consultation processes required for the issue of
licences.
The Act establishes the Office of the Gene
Technology Regulator (OGTR), which regulates dealings with
GMOs, including exempt dealings, accreditation of facilities
and organisations and licensing of intentional releases of
GMOs into the environment.

127

The Gene Technology Regulator has three advisorycommittees under the terms ofthis Act. The Gene Technology
Technical Advisory Committee advises on the scientific andtechnical aspects of applications for licences The Act also
recognizes that, as well as strict compliance with the legal
requirement of the Act; there may be ethical and social issues
that require consideration. These ethical and social issues
surrounding genetically modified organisms were recognizedby the creation of the Gene Technology Ethics Committee(GTEC) and the Gene Technology Community Consultative
Committee (GTCCC). The Gene Technology Ethics
Committee (GTEC) was established to provide advice to theRegulator or the Ministerial Council on:(a)
Ethical issues relating to gene technology(b)
The need for, and content of, codes of practice inrelation to ethics in respect of conducting dealings with GMOs
(c)
The need for, and content of, policy principles inrelation to dealings with GMOs, which should be conducted
for ethical reasons (s112).
Both the GTEC and the GTCCC are multi-disciplinarycommittees (s108 (3); s111 (5)).
In the area of research involving humans, the basic
regulatory framework depends on well-established codes of
ethical practice, such as the key international reference pointof the Declaration of Helsinki (in Australia, the National
Statement of Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans
1999). In the case of research involving animals, there is astatutory framework within State and Territory Animal Welfare
Acts. The statutory framework has been supplemented
gradually by Codes of Practice and ethical principles
developed by the National Health and Medical ResearchCouncil, in particular the 7th edition of the Australian Code ofPractice for the Care and Use of Animals for ScientificPurposes 2004. There are no gene technology orenvironmental equivalents of the Human Research Ethics
Committees or Animal Welfare Committees. Similarly, whilecodes of medical research ethics contain statements of broadly
agreed and consistent principles, there are no equivalentinternational statements in relation to agreed environmental
ethical principles
The GTEC is developing a National Framework Statement
on environmental ethics or the ethics of gene technology.
GTEC notes the excellent work done by the two states ofQueensland and Victoria in developing their ethical statementsin this area.
GTEC has identified the following set of 10 core principles
that apply to the environment in general, and gene technology,
GMOs and GM products, in particular:
1. Integrity is the guiding value for researchers and allothers involved in gene technology and dealings with GMOs
in their search for knowledge and in their commitment to the
obligations and spirit of the national regulatory system.
2. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs have the legal and ethicalresponsibility to ensure that activities within their control do
not cause damage to the Australian environment or in areas
beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. In so doing, there
must be a thorough assessment of the extended side effects ofpractical applications in gene technology and dealings with
GMOs.
3. Gene technology and dealings with GMOs should be
conducted with consideration of the environmental and healthneeds of present and future generations.

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

6. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs should demonstrate respect for all
living things, and the environment on which they depend, ineach and every act when dealing with gene technology.

The Government of the State of Victoria, Australia, asked
the Victorian Biotechnology Ethics Advisory Committee todevelop a draft Statement of Ethical Principles for
Biotechnology. The Statement provides guidance of ethicalpractices for scientists, institutions and companies using
biotechnology in research and other applications.
The voluntary Statement of Ethical Principles wasdeveloped with extensive public consultation. Special
processes were adopted to capture the youth perspective.
This paper summarises the development of the Statementof Ethical Principles for Biotechnology and considers how
such guidelines may be adapted and implemented by scientists,
institutions and companies. The author will briefly outline theAustralian framework considering the ethics of science andtechnology, in particular, structures and processes relevant togene technology.

7. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs should minimise risks of harm or
discomfort to the persons (or living things) affected by thedealing.

Lunch
Field site visits
The participants will be divided into 2 groups (approximately
40 for each group)

4. Gene technology and dealings with GMOs should be
conducted in a manner that integrates the environmental andhealth protection into the research and development process,and not in isolation from it.
5. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs should demonstrate respect for
persons in all acts, including obtaining appropriate consent.
Respect for persons is expressed as regard for the welfare,rights, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritage, bothindividual and collective, of persons likely to be affected by
the gene technology and dealings with GMOs.

8. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs should act with compassion,
reciprocity and solidarity with others and with future
generations.
9. There is a challenge to promote an equitable distributionof the benefits from the biotechnology revolution to thedeveloping nations. This may include promoting equal accessto scientific developments, sharing knowledge and recognising
the value of benefit sharing.
10. Researchers and all others involved in gene technology
and dealings with GMOs should carry through the values andprinciples set out in this framework in a practical, informed
way, without sacrificing one value while attempting to realise
another value.
These core principles aim to assist scientists and thecommunity to identify and follow right conduct in relation to
the environment in general and gene technology, GMOs andGM products, in particular. The principles are for guidance
and are not intended to be prescriptive at this stage. These
principles may form the basis upon which codes of practice orpolicy principles (under the relevant provisions of the Gene
Technology Act 2000 and the corresponding state and territoryacts) may be developed at a later stage.
Public trust in science and biotechnology is a major issue..
The Novartis Foundation, for example, has noted that deficits
of trust, not advances of trust, are and were another rule. Thiswas similarly recognised by the House of Lords SelectCommittee which said there was a “new mood for dialogue
where scientists were beginning to understand the impact of
the work in society and public opinion”. This trend is togreater public scrutiny through legislation which, places the
responsibility for the scrutiny of biotechnology squarely within
parliamentary responsibility. But of course, this is not to deny
the importance of the social responsibilities of the scientists
themselves.
Victorian Governance of Biotechnology
Ellen M Kittson, Ph.D.
Manager, Biotechnology Safety and Ethics,
Department of Human Services, Australia
Ellen.Kittson@dhs.vic.gov.au

3:30pm come back to main room for a combined session
again
Ethics in Public Communication on Agricultural
Biotechnology
Kazuo N. Watanabe, Ph.D., Yoshiko Sassa, Eiko Suda, M.
Inaba, Chia Hsin Chen & Akira Kikuchi
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Tsukuba, Japannabechan@gene.tsukuba.ac.jp
ELSI, Ethics, Legal and Social Implications are essential
components in R & D on agricultural biotechnology.
Particularly, consideration on ethics in public communication
is cardinal for benefit for societies. A series of cases are givenon the debates associated with agricultural biotechnology
focusing on GM crops.
At the COPMOP-2 of the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety for the Convention on Biological Diversity at
Montreal, May, 2005, some delegations could not get visa
issuance promptly from the Canadian government. This washinted by many insiders that there was particularly the lack ofunderstanding on how to follow the comprehensively
instructed visa application by the applicants who supposed tohave relevant experiences on the process. Finally those people
could make it to attend the conference with the extraordinary
efforts by the host government. Those applicants did not
follow the procedures precisely it could be regarded as
unprofessional and unethical on the one side of fault not
admitted, but the stagnant visa issue process accused. There
should be urgent needs in capacity building on how to request
visa and to attend the international meeting before attending
the COPMOP-2 meeting to discuss on the specific capacity
building on biosafety.
Sensational demonstration on GM canola spill in Japan:
Prior to the approval of importation of transgenic crops for thefood, feed and processing uses by the government, theenvironmental risk assessments of GM crops have been done
well with multidisciplinary scientific teams under the previous
Japanese governmental guideline and are being confirmed by
the new law which entered in to force in February 19, 2004.
For example on the transgenic canola spilled at ports andEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
roads on the way processing factories, based on thegovernmental assessments, there is no finding made on thepossibility of an adverse effect to the environment: noinvasiveness, no introgression to wild relatives establishing as
super-weeds, no crop contamination. As Brassica crops arealien species in Japan, there is no wild relatives which could
be contaminated, and all crop seeds are well managed frommixing crop cultivation per se. Adventitious cross may
happen with the bolting Brassica crops but these arecontrolled well in ordinary cultivation practices, and Japanesefarming system never uses such voluntary plants in cropping.
Unintentional crop contamination in Brassica vegetables
could be imaginary and indeed it does not happen unlesscriminal set-up is made to intentionally mix them whenmarket shipment is made. Thus, gene contamination message
from NGOs is a falsified information and it is disturbing theJapanese public and making adverse effects to the benefit of
the crops, to the fair decision making process of public and to
Japanese communities.
Co-mingled material, Bt 10 corn issue: Background, Bt
10 corn, an experimental transgenic line containing ampicillin
antibiotics resistance gene, was co-mingled with the bulkshipment of corn feed commodity to Japan and other countries.
Legal issues and mishandling of co-mingling the unapproved
materials are definitely problems, but the Bt 10 corn it self has
no threatening risk, even no subtle harm to the livestock,
human and environment. Because of unapproved status as
feed, NGOs made sensational comments on the danger of the
Bt 10 corn. Generally speaking antibiotics marker genes havebeen avoided due to the public perception, but there is no
threatening risk according to many of scientific reports fromhighly recognized sources. The detection at ports based on theJapanese domestic regulatory frame and implementation
practice would be the model examples of how the Japanesemonitoring system functioned well for detecting the comingled items which are not approved in the country based on
the international recommended procedures and the systemcurrently conducted by the government guidance. The
statements from the domestic and international NGOs aremaking strong negative impact on the commercial movementof the LMOs-FFP, especially corn for feed. This is not only tothe transaction at ports, but also to the distributors, farmers
and consumers of the daily products derived from thelivestocks which were fed with the imported corn.
It is unethical that some activists and their umbrellaorganizations abuse and intentional transformation of thescientific facts. It is quite adverse effects to the innocent
public and it is damaging to socio-economic values. The
imprecision and wrongful uses of the scientific facts are
confusing and scaring to the Japanese communities. The
threateningly loud voices from the activities only discourage
the communities and infringe rights of the public to complete
fairly on the benefit of the transgenic technology and productthereof.
It was pointed out that negative sentiments have been
increasing over a decade since the first commercial release ofGM crops in Japan. However, this is not totally correct.
Whenever surveys had been made average of less than 20% of
the target sample population replied. At the sampling stages, it
had a biase in the context of random sampling, as the averageof 80% did not answer or did not indicate the interest. Only
small portion of the surveyed groups represented the general
sentiment in Japan. Alternative approaches in information
surveys have been conducted and these experimental cases

129

indicated contrasting results on the diverse views rather thanperception. The importance was pointed out on the role andresponsibility of public news-media and information
mediation mechanisms to be fair and more analytic on thedissemination of the complicated scientific and technologicalmatters such on genetic engineering and products thereof.
Background References
Okusu H, Watanabe KN (2005) Regional focus on GM crop
regulation. Science 308: 1409
Watanabe KN (1999a) Biosafety protocol: An asymmetric fusion ofplenty of politics and a bit of science. Eubios J Asian andInternational Bioethics 9(4): 105
Watanabe KN (1999b) Intellectual igonorance. Eubios J Asian andInternational Bioethics 9(4): 108
Watanabe KN (2003) Pitfalls on implementing the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety in Japan. Nature 421 : 689
Watanabe KN (2005) Global overview and Japanese domestic issues
on the transgenic crops. Kinki J Crop Sci & Breed 50:15-19 In
Japanese with English summary
Watanabe KN, Taeb M, Okusu H (2004a) Japanese controversies
over transgenic crop Regulation. Science 305: 1572
Watanabe KN, Taeb M, Okusu H (2004b) Putting Cartagena into
Practice. Nature Biotechnol 22: 1207-1208
Watanabe KN, et al. (2004c) Negative fallout from public sentimentin Japan. Nature Biotechnol 22: 943
Watanabe KN, Sassa Y, Suda E, Chen C-H, Inaba M, Kikuchi A(2005) Global PEST issues of GM crops with special references toJapanese cases. Plant Biotechnol 22(4,5): in press

Constituting ethics into biotechnology policies anddeveloping international relations.
Minakshi Bhardwaj, Ph.D.
Research Associate, ESRC Center for Economic and Social
Aspects of Genomics (CESAGen), Furness college
Lancaster University, UKm.bhardwaj@lancaster.ac.uk
Of late, genomic technologies are perceived as catalytic
in developing a knowledge-based economy and argued for
integrating international perspectives and balancing“interests” of all the stakeholder and “participation. Several
international agencies, including UNESCO, WHO and UNDP
are working towards developing ethical frameworks in global
governance mechanisms, including the use of genetic
technologies in agriculture and biomedicine. Though some ofthese frameworks mention similar principles, benefit sharing,justice and common heritage of mankind for example, theseprinciples can be interpreted in several ways and conflict witheach and arguably may not be reflective of the cultural values
and applicable as guiding principles in prioritising the policies
and challenging in the implementation of those policies. In
this paper, I will explore some of the different interpretationsof these principles and the need to integrate wider
perspectives the governance of genomic technologies.
For developing countries, in Asia and elsewhere the issueof embracing potentially valuable technologies in the context
of socio-economic background of the countries is also crucial.
However, it is commonly acknowledged in the international
debates that there is a strong need to first develop regulatory
mechanisms integrating fundamental ethical values ofdifferent cultures. The issue of integrating ethical principles inpolicy frameworks is only one aspect; implementation of
those value-led policies at local level, in each region andcountry is another challenge. Some issues such as what are thebenefits for an individual versus sharing of benefits with the130

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

communities, the concept of solidarity and mutuality in thebiotechnological development and its meanings for Asian
countries will be discussed.

Benefits and Ethical Limits of Biotechnology
Mary Saral, A. 1 and Selvanayagam, M. 2
1Auxilium College, Vellore-6
2P.G. & Research Dept. of Zoology, Loyola Institute of
Frontier Energy, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
jaya_saral@yahoo.com; drmssel@yahoo.co.in
The emerging areas in Biotechnology range from thedevelopment of new medicines and drugs, geneticallyengineered foods, biologically controlled industrial
manufacturing processes, and biologically based computing
devices to the creation of new industrial materials and devices
based upon biological structures and the use of biotechnology
in food production. This research area carries the potential forstrong societal reaction. To explore the potential impact of
biotechnology on society, three fundamental options that
influence societal acceptance of biotechnology are described.
First, the extent to which technological integration proceeds
may strongly impact the way society uses and perceives
biotechnology derived products and processes as legitimate
and reliable alternatives to current products may shape bothmarket demand and public policy. Third, government should
educate their citizens (especially people at schools) to ensurethat they really understand this new technology and are able to
make real choices and better understanding of biology willcertainly result in a better acceptance by the society. The
major reason cited for rejection of genetic manipulation
research in society was seen as interfering with nature and as
unethical. These may illustrate a paradigm shift amongscientist to concentrate more attention on the social impacts of
their research, especially in areas such as biotechnology andgenetics. People should be offered the option of using newtechnology in medicine and agriculture and such application
should be made providing internationally accepted ethical andsafety standard.

An Analytical Framework for Understanding Agricultural
Biotechnology Controversies
Tomiko Yamaguchi, Ph.D.
Researcher, Office for GMO Research and Development,
National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Japan
tyamaguc@nias.affrc.go.jp
Several years before the Indian government decided to
introduce transgenic cotton (Bt cotton) to the Indian market,
social controversy erupted. The controversy arose toward theend of the 1990s, when the government of Andhra Pradesh
halted the open field trials of Bt cotton which were then being
conducted by a joint venture between a local firm and amultinational corporation. Concerns about ethical issues –how the benefits of biotechnology will reach developing
countries, how the benefits will be distributed to growers ofdifferent social and economic strata, and how theenvironmental and health risks will be distributed andredistributed – have given rise to a social movement at odds
with the efforts of the Indian government and the cotton
industry to introduce the new technology. Since the initial
eruption of the controversy, many groups, including farmers,scientists, industrialists, NGOs, and various government
agencies, have become actively involved in discussions anddecisions concerning the commercialization of this newvariety. Against this complex backdrop, the aim of this paper
is to present an analytical framework providing insights into
the landscape of agricultural biotechnology controversies inIndia. The social constructionist approach to social problems(SCSP) provides an overarching framework in which toanalyze the issues. The paper will introduce the purpose andconceptual framework of SCSP by explicating the concepts ofactors, claims and frames. The key notion that seemingly
objective conditions actually constitute just one of many
perceived realities will help us understand how both scientificand non-scientific considerations (ethics, values, needs andpreferences) play out in processes of societal decision-making
concerning agricultural biotechnology.

Thursday, 15 September
10. Public Health and Ethics of Research
Ethics of use of genetic control methods for infectious
diseaseDarryl Macer, Ph.D.
Director, Eubios Ethics Institute, Japan, New Zealand,
Thailand;Affiliated Professor, United Nations University, JAPAN;
d.macer@unescobkk.org
There is a history over millennia of efforts to find medicinalcompounds in nature and protect communities against
common threats of infectious diseases. A new strategy thatshould enter field trials on certain isolated islands in the next
few years is to alter the metabolism, structure and/or
behaviour of disease vectors so that they cannot transmit
pathogens to humans. We now have the DNA sequence ofhuman beings, that of dozens of pathogens, and some disease
vectors.
It is therefore not surprising that molecularentomology, the study of the DNA and proteins that they
encode, in insects, is emerging as a serious scientific approach
for insect control in agriculture and medicine.
People in all cultures have developed biotechnologies, as
they live together with many species in the wider biologicaland social community. Part of this process is for a local
society to set values for consensus on risk assessment. This
involves community engagement, and descriptions of theearly results of several attempts at community engagement forthese trials will be introduced. In this sense genetic
engineering may be a catalyst for consideration of the need forcommunity input in public health decisions in general. The
empowerment of citizens in all communities, rural and urban,
can have a significant impact on the approaches and solutions
that are used and proposed.
The ethical principle of beneficence supports thedevelopment of science and medicine, and its provision to
those who suffer in the world. The ethical principle of nonmaleficence would make us balance reasonable caution about
premature use of a technology when risks are not understood.
Before field release of transgenic insects, researchers mustassess all the scientific issues associated with GM vectors anddevelop safety precautions to address potential risks. A
procedure for risk evaluation should be set up, so that newEubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
information can be gathered and interpreted. Consent should
be obtained from the communities involved. The specificmechanisms to obtain individual and group consent need to be
specifically developed for public health interventions. The
data should be made open to all so that it can benefit fromglobal expertise and develop an international consensus.
[Background: Macer, DRJ. Ethical, legal and social issues ofgenetically modified disease vectors in public health.
UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special program for Research andTraining
inTropical
Diseases(TDR),
Geneva,2003.](http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/publications/seb_t
opic1.htm)

Gauging attitudes towards genetically modified
mosquitoes
Naoko Kimura and Darryl Macer
Eubios Ethics Institute, Thailand
n.kimura@unescobkk.org
In the fight to reduce human suffering, there is an urgent
need for the control of vector borne diseases such as malaria
and dengue. The use of genetically modified (GM) insects is
one of the methods that has been supported in principle by
WHO as a new measure for disease control. However, there ismuch controversy surrounding the procedures of suchresearch, especially concerning field trial studies of GM
organisms (GMOs) in general, whether they be plants or inthis case, insects. To carry out a field trial in an ethicalmanner, it is necessary to understand the concerns that thegeneral public of each particular community, and various
stakeholders have, and to ensure that there is open dialogue
and a continuation of involvement of communities for theduration of a trial.
In order to gauge the attitudes that people haveconcerning bioethics, two surveys were conducted in Japan,
one in 2003 and the second one in 2004 to both the generalpublic and to farmers. These surveys contained a few
questions relating to GMOs with one question focused
specifically on whether using genetic modification techniques
to make mosquitoes incapable of vectoring diseases such as
malaria and Japanese encephalitis in their opinion is
acceptable or not. The questions were given in an open
response format, thus the returned comments were analyzed
and categorized into concept categories which express theideas in the responses given. Overall, among these surveys,
36% of the respondents found the technique acceptable while
17% responded that it would be unacceptable and 47%
answered they didn’t know. Of the total number of ideas in
the comments made, 31% were positive, 19% were mixed,
and 50% were negative feelings towards genetically modified
mosquitoes.
Although the use of genetic modification techniques forthe purpose of controlling diseases is accepted more than it isunaccepted, categorization of the comments revealed that thetechnique itself is viewed rather negatively by the Japanesepeople, while noting that Japan is not endemic for such
infectious diseases. Given that globally there are several
research groups with ongoing projects involving GM
mosquitoes, studies need to be conducted in endemic
countries and more regions to further analyze and understandthe attitudes of different communities towards GM
mosquitoes. Only in this manner is it possible to gain the trustof communities, and design a method of research concerning131

GM mosquitoes that can be accepted by the communities
involved.

Research Ethics in China: History, Status quo and Issues
Xiaomei Zhai, Ph.D.,
Executive Director, Research Center for Bioethics, CAMP &PUMC, China
xmzhai@hotmail.com
There is no tradition of doing research involving humansubjects in China. Traditional epistemology and Confucian
ethics prevent physicians from doing research involving
human subjects other than themselves. However, doing
research only with the researcher himself is no longer valid
with large scale trial, production and use of more effective
new drugs and with other biomedical and health research inall disciplines. Since Dolly, bioethics began to beinstitutionalized. A draft of regulation on research involving
human subjects (MOH) was circulated in a limited circle in1998 and the first version of GCP was officially promulgated(SFDA) in 1999 in which ethical requirements forindependent review and informed consent are specificallyrequired. Later regulations on ART and human embryo stem
cell research also require ethical review and obtaining
informed consent. However, in their implementation there arelots of problems, which result in non-observance with theseregulations or requirements. In response to urgent need tobuild capacity of bioethics training workshops on research
ethics have been organized respectively by Research Centre
for Bioethics, PUMC，HSC Peking University, and Centre
for Bioethics, Huazhong University of Science andTechnology in collaboration with Harvard School of Public
Health under the sponsorship by NIH and CMB in six major
cities. Some controversial cases will be discussed with therecommendations that there should be a policy to deal withdifferent problems which take place in different cases, andthat the role of mass media in bioethics should be properly
evaluated.

Current State of Research Ethics in Developing Countries:
Where Do We Stand?
M Al Mamun 1, M Saidur Rahman 2, M Mahmud Hossain 3,
K Selim Anwar 4
1MBBS, MPH, PGTrng (China), Public Health Physician &Bacteriologist
3MBBS, MPH, Public Health Physician & Bacteriologist
4MD (USSR), M Phil (England), PGTrng (Japan), Public
Health Physician & Bacteriologist (Currently working in
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Lien)
Epidemiology Unit, Microbiology Laboratory Section,
Institute of Public Health (IPH), Dhaka, Bangladesh
2MBBS, MPH Student, Department of Epidemiology,
National Institute of Preventive & Social Medicine(NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh
mamamun@bdonline.com
The main objective of this article is to illustrate thecurrent situation on ethical issues in bio-medical research indeveloping countries along with focusing on the ways andmeans to ensure its implementation. In a developing country
like Bangladesh, bio-medical researchers still lack proper
knowledge about the ethical components of research and132

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

attitudes toward practicing it. It is a common practice indeveloping countries to carry on bio-medical studies likeclinical trials without taking informed consent from humansubjects, which is a serious offense according to Helsinki
Declaration and Nuremberg Code. It becomes possible
because study subjects are easily exploitable due to theirilliteracy, poverty, unemployment, lack of consciousness etc.
Prior to starting a study, taking ethical clearance fromappropriate authority remains as a thorny obstacle forresearchers in developing countries due to widely practiced
corruption, bribery, bureaucratic complication, proceduraldelay and so on, which distract researchers from fulfillingnecessary formalities. Sometimes even scientific journals,
particularly in developing countries, publish articles without
asking the author(s) about ethical issues relevant to theperformed study. More effective education/training on
bioethics for prospective researchers can be useful. Moreover,checkpoints like Ethical Review Committees and scientificjournals can also play a vital role to implement ethical aspectsofbio-medical
research.
Achievement
requiresprofessional/technical assistance and political motivation bothfrom national and international community.

Utilization of traditional knowledge and support of accessto healthMihaela Serbulea, Ph.D.
Romania
serbulea@ias.unu.edu
Traditional medicine has been practiced in every cornerof the world since dawn of humankind and it is recognized by
the WHO that 80% of the population, especially in the rural
areas of developing countries, rely primarily on traditional
healers for their health needs. However, traditional healthpractitioners remain marginalized and their recognition byhealth authorities has only begun in several countries.
As a UN research institute focused on global problems
which affect a majority of the world’s population, UNU-IAS
is conducting a program investigating modalities to integrate
traditional medical knowledge into the public health systemsof developing countries. A policy report including casestudies from Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, India, Japan, Mongolia,
Nepal, Peru and Trinidad & Tobago is being prepared for
publication, reflecting the experiences in various cultures toincorporate non-standard methods in the main-stream healthprovision systems.
In order to improve access and quality of health care of
the disadvantaged we can build on the existing wealth ofunderstanding and the presence of trusted practitioners who
have the authority bestowed by the communities forgenerations. The best possible, accessible and affordable
medicine has to be provided to people, everywhere, in linewith the UN Millennium Development Goals.
In addition, traditional medicines are becoming popular
alternatives to the western approach in developing countries
and various time-honored methods like acupuncture,homeopathy, Ayurveda, and many others are taught inmedical universities and started to be recognized bygovernments as complementary to modern medicine.
However, insurance schemes still favor modern drugs andprocedures, in disregard of traditional methods, creating a
dilemma for the consumer who is torn between choosing theless costly procedure (in the short run) versus the one whichmight take longer to cure in a gentler and more thoroughmanner.
In recent years there were numerous cases were researchundertaken by pharmaceutical companies in the herbal
pharmacopoeia of indigenous peoples has lead to patents
which did not benefit, or even acknowledge the traditional
information they were based on. These ethical aspects ofresearch and distribution of resources and knowledge arebeing investigated.

11. Governance Models for Genetic and Reproductive
Technology
Informed Consent: An Essential Requirement for
Essential Health Research
Leonardo D. de Castro, Ph.D.
Vice-Chair, International Bioethics Committee, Philippines
decastro@kssp.upd.edu.phStrict requirements for informed consent haveoccasionally posed a barrier to the conduct of biomedical
research involving human subjects even when such research isconsidered essential for public health. The situation has been
particularly frustrating for scientists doing research on specialgroups such as children, the mentally handicapped, and otherswith a diminished capacity to give informed consent. Some
writers have argued that the frustration must be shared by the
public in general as they point out that it is time to relax theneedlessly strict informed consent requirements.
I argue that notwithstanding the setbacks that have beenencountered occasionally by scientists, the informed consent
paradigm needs to remain firmly in place. The danger thatarises from a diminished adherence to informed consent
requirements far outweighs the danger that arises from a
failure to pursue ‘essential’ research. Moreover, even when
we continue to recognize the centrality of informed consent to
the research enterprise, there are mechanisms that allow
exceptions under justifiable special circumstances.

Ethical Issues on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Researchin China
Yanguang Wang, Ph.D., M.D.
Center for Applied Ethics, Chinese Academy of Social
Sciencesameliawyg@sohu.com
HES cell research is developing quickly in China. This
research became a hot topic in the mass media and a concern
for both the public and scientists in 2001. Chinese bioethicists and the government made great efforts to illuminate
the ethics issues, and drafted the “Ethical Principles andRegulations for HES Cell Research”, “Ethical Code on HES
Cell Research” and “Ethical Guidance on HES Cell Research”.
Discussion of ethics by bio-ethicists and the ethical committee
is on going.
There are ethical disputes against the issuing of
regulatory and ethical guidance. Some Chinese scientists
thought that freedom of scientific research should not be
violated and should go without ethical constraints. Tworecommendations and the “Draft of Ethical Guidance on
Human Embryo Stem Cell research” drafted by two Ministries,
support and encourage human embryonic stem cell research,Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
on condition that the embryos researched are within 14 daysof development. These papers are meeting objections from athome and abroad, so one ethical issue is support of or
objection to research on embryos within 14 days ofdevelopment. Another ethical debate is on the source ofhuman embryonic stem cells in China and how to protect thedonors. Human embryonic stem cell research must be carriedout under the principles of informed consent in the context ofculture and social situation. There are issues regarding the
researchers’ ethical training, how to guarantee the stem cellresearch is authorized and review by an ethics committee.
Government work on regulation is expected.

The Regulation of Stem Cell Technology: International
Approaches to Restriction or Permission
Don Chalmers, Ph.D.
Professor; Deputy Chair NHMRC Licensing Committee
Australia
Don.Chalmers@utas.edu.au
Nearly 10 years ago in 1996, at the Roslyn Institute in
Edinburgh in Scotland, a company called PPL Therapeutics
created Dolly from a cell taken from an adult animal. The
world’s first cloned animal created an extraordinaryinternational reaction. The general international reaction was
to ban human reproductive cloning. As the debate matured,
there was a general recognition that cloning, for “therapeutic”
purposes might be an acceptable option.
The debates about therapeutic cloning have revived debates
about the acceptable limits to research on human embryos.
Stem cell research is seen as one of the great hopes for arevolution in medicine offering opportunities for tissue andorgan repair and potentially therapies for Parkinsons, Diabetes,
heart disease and the production of synthetic blood. Morecontroversially, stem cells could be used for drug testing.
Finally, perhaps one day, therapeutic cloning may become areality where an individual’s own (autologous) cells could be
developed for transplant.
Currently, both adult andembryonic stem cell research is at an early stage. Most of themodest success so far have been in the adult stem cellresearch area.
Stem cells can be derived from human embryos or other
adult cells. For example, bone marrow transplants are a typeof adult stem cell. Many people prefer the use of adult stem
cells because of doubts about the moral status of the embryo
in many religious traditions.
Gradually, a number ofcountries have decided to allow embryo research using excess
IVF embryos. Most countries have decided that some form of
regulation is essential.
This presentation will concentrate on the embryo researchlegislation in Australia. A licensing regime has been set up
for the use of excess (“surplus”) embryos from assisted
reproductive technology (IVF) programs.
A Licensing
Committee is set up within the National Health and Medical
Research Council, which grants licences to researchers in theprivate and public sector. There are criminal offences for theuse of embryos without a licence.
At the first stage, the researcher must present the research
proposal to the Human Research Ethics Committee in their
institution. That Committee must be satisfied that-the embryos are excess to the needs of the couple in the ART
program,-that all the consents have been obtained and133-that approval has been given for the activity and the project
must be approved by the HREC.
At this stage the application can be referred to the National
Licensing Committee, whose principle task is to licence theuse of these ART embryos in research.
The Licensing
Committee must again confirm that the consents have beenobtained and that the project has been approved.
The Licensing Committee to have regard to restricting thenumber of excess ART embryos to be likely to be necessary
to the project and also to be satisfied that there is a likelihoodof significant advancement in knowledge and improvement intechnologies.
At that moment a licence may be issued
subject to conditions.
Interestingly, the Licensing Committee has already had todevelop additional guidance on difficult practical issues
which have arisen. Guidance has been given on when an
embryo may be considered dead; how the consent of theparties is to be obtained and how the “likelihood of significant
advance” will be interpreted Thus far, 9 licences have been
issued.
This framework system of regulation of embryo researchbased on the use of surplus embryos from IVF (sometimes
referred to Assisted Reproductive Technology -ART) is by far
the most common model with a number of countries having
introduced legislation such as the UK, Finland, Greece, Israel,
The Netherlands, Sweden, South Korea, the American Statesof California and New Jersey and Australia. Other countries
have also followed the surplus embryos approach but havepreferred to use guidelines, such as Singapore, China, Spainand Japan.
The United Kingdom has gone much further and has
introduced legislation allowing the actual creation of embryos,in very strict circumstances to obtain embryonic stem cells.
It is worth noting, however, that the United Kingdom has not
signed the Council of Europe Convention on Biomedicine.
Finally, there are some countries who, as yet, have notintroduced specific legislation. For example, the USA has
not introduced legislation, but rather introduced restrictions on
the use of public funds for such research.
The legislation and guidelines introduced to permit embryo
research have usually placed many other restrictions onembryo research. For example:
Only surplus IVF embryos allowed to be used except
in the UK•
The consent of the parties creating the embryos isrequired at 2 stages - a consent that the embryos are
no longer required for their IVF treatment and also
consent to the research•
The purposes of the research must be explained andmostly the research purposes are limited and require
careful justification•
The research purposes must be approved by an
Ethics Review Committees•
The research is generally required to be reported andthe research results published•
Finally, some countries have set up national
committees to license the research with power toimpose further conditions in the licence.
Restrictions are usual in relation to the purpose of theresearch. No country has allowed, as yet, undefined researchon embryos. In Australia the researcher has to show there is a“likelihood of significant advancement of knowledge or
improvement in technologies for treatment”. Similarly in•134

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

Japan, the researcher may only use ES cells for basic researchand cannot use them reproductively. The UK originally set
out research purposes which related to infertility, miscarriages,
genital diseases, contraception and chromosome abnormalities
but is now extended the purposes to the development ofembryos, knowledge of serious disease and the treatment of
those diseases.
On the other hand, some countries maintain their legislation
banning embryo research, for example, Austria, Ireland,
Canada, Philippines and Germany. Interestingly, Germanybans embryo research but still allows stem cells to beimported.
Interestingly, the international debates about human embryo
research has revived philosophic discussion. The utilitarianideas weighing benefits and harms or the deontologicalapproach to duties have now been supplemented witharguments based on human dignity. Arguments based onhuman dignity may be conservative but they do allow
discussion on areas outside simple claims to human rights.
For example, the embryo may not have human rights but
deserve to be treated with dignity. Similarly, some haveargued that reproductive cloning is part of the right toprocreate. However, reproductive human cloning offends
human dignity because the fundamental nature and values of asociety are as important and may transcend individual rights.
Human dignity also underpins human rights themselves andplaces proper limits on the idea of autonomy. Professor
Brownsword has also suggested, human dignity is necessary
to avoid the trivialisation of genetics for cosmetic purposes.
In conclusion, there is a reasonable international consensus
about the unacceptability of reproductive cloning. In 1997 the
UNESCO Universal Declaration of the Human Genome andHuman Rights recommended the prohibition of reproductive
cloning. This was followed by similar criticisms ofreproductive cloning by the National Bioethics Advisory
Commission in the USA, the WHO General Session and a
Protocol prohibiting cloning added to the Council of Europe
Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. Morerecently, this year, the UN introduced a resolution to ban
reproductive cloning but did not introduce a formal Treaty.
Similarly, there has been some consensus on the need forregulation of human embryo research. However, the modelsof regulation have some common themes. Secondly, it is
widely agreed that harmonisation is desirable to avoid
jurisdictional tourism where an individual simply goes to a
country with lower regulatory standards.
What are the points in human cloning debate? A view
from Buddhism
Somparn Promta
ThailandSomparn.P@Chula.ac.th
Buddhist ethics argues that in moral debate first things
required are the proper questioning. The right question leads
to the right answer and the wrong question leads to the wrong
answer. There are many views concerning the human cloning
problem. Some of them could be based on the rightquestioning and some based on the wrong one. This paper will
examine what, according to Buddhist bioethics, are the points
to be explored in the debate over human cloning. Most moral
conflicts in the world including the human cloning issue
according to Buddhism could be solved by going back to theproper starting point. The paper will point out what is such a
starting point in human cloning debate.
Biobanking and Ethnic Monitoring
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Simon, Ph.D.
University of Lüneburg, Germany
jwsimon@web.de
The tension between the right to information and the rightto privacy is intensively pronounced in the field of ‘race’
relations. Accurate documentation of ‘racial’ and ethnic
minorities as well as of subordinated positions generally is afundamental task for promoting civil rights and nondiscrimination all over the world. It is important in providing
claims of racial discrimination. But, in spite of the need forbetter founded statistics, e.g., as a result of biobanking, todocument the condition of minorities the understandable fearof abusive purposes is great. Therefore data-protection laws
are often -even officially- interpreted as a necessary hurdle tohinder the collection of race or ethnic data in Biobanks andstatistics. The result is that advocates for non-discrimination
are more or less handicapped by non reliable information.
So, biobanks as well as better statistics as their possible
result are needed for evidence to prove and combat racial
discrimination, and my lecture might contribute to thefollowing points of interest:(1) Some short remarks concerning the ability ofbiobanks for collecting and using biomaterials and –data togive support for anti-discrimination activities.
(2) In which European countries are race statistics used
and by whom (governments/anti-discrimination-advocates)?
(3) Is there any domestic or international law to prohibit
collection and maintenance?
(4) Eventually recommending legal reforms.
The result should be a contribution to the way how it
should be possible to do both: to collect biomaterial andpersonal data and to make research with it with the aim tosupport anti-discrimination, and, on the other hand, to realize
an optimum of security for minorities and their acceptance.

International Comparisons of Regulation of Biobanks
Brigitte Jansen, Ph.D.
Director Research Center Biotechnology and Law, EuroAcad.,
Lueneburg/Berlin (Germany),
Visiting Professor University of Madras, Chennai (India)
jansen@bioethik.de
If one observes all factors that concern the organisation ofan organic bank, the aspect of acceptance takes on an
exceptional role. Every plan to successfully (re)organise abiobank depends on a high level of agreement by allparticipants.
A trusteeship represents an interesting possibility for theorganisation and administration of genetic data. What remains
to consider is what kind of trusteeship is appropriate. This
often depends on the situation that the initiators of an organicbank find themselves in. For example, a private sector
trusteeship tries to optimise the profit aspects of research.
However, this profit orientation should lead in no manner to aneglect of the rules for data protection whereby this danger in
the international transfer of data is quite high. Also, theacceptance of all parties concerned is not exactly the rule inprivate sector organisations. This shows that private sector

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)
trusteeship is in a field of tension as regards to the common
weal. If a public trustee is delegated to administer an organicbank, one can assume that at least in the Western industrial
nations that sufficient control measures are guaranteed andtherefore the common weal is not neglected. Therefore, it
seems meaningful to strive for a co-operative form of public
and private sector trusteeships or a commission form of public
and/or private organisations. An alternative would benaturally a credible private sector organisation such as theFirst Genetic Trust.

Some Thoughts about Implementation of International
Bioethics Declarations in Vietnam Practice
Le Dinh Luong, Ph.D.
Vietnamluong@hn.vnn.vn
A successful implementation of international bioethics
Declarations depends on concrete conditions of each country.
These conditions in Vietnam are now rather specific. Aftermany years of wars the country and nation concentrate theirefforts on development of economy, improvement ofeducation and health care. To do this effectively, among otherthings, the country should apply the achievements of modern
science and technology, such as biotechnology. In this social
high speed development bioethical issues are sometimes
considered "luxury". This can explain several things
concerning bioethics, such as the lack of bioethics courses inmost of schools; lack of some bioethical regulations; bioethics
is not in the focus of public media and in public opinion in
general etc... One example is the articles 8, 9 and 10 in theInternational Declaration on Human Genetic Data, concerning
very important issue "Consent". Nowadays we have no
official regulations on this matter and public as well as
individuals who give biological samples (genetic data) for
hospitals or counseling do not pay attention to the fate of their
genetic information, which will be obtained from the samples.
From other side, in the abovementioned situation, somebioethics issues somewhere seem to be difficultly acceptable.
For example, all the measures, both direct and indirect, aiming
at limiting abortion, are useless, because we have an official
Decree allowing free abortion, aiming at limiting the growthof population, a factor increasing poverty.
Another example is article 4 on Human Dignity and
Human Rights, paragraph b "Any decision or practice shallrespect the principle that the interests and welfare of thehuman person prevail over the sole interest of science orsociety" in Universal Declaration on Bioethics. This
principle in our condition is very difficult to be accepted.

Market-driven Biomedical Research: A Major Challenge
to Everyday Bioethics
Chan Chee Khoon, Ph.D.
Universiti Sains, Malaysia
ckchan50@yahoo.com
One of the pre-eminent issues of “everyday bioethics”
has been highlighted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): of
the 1,393 new drugs approved between 1975 and 1999, only
16 (or just over 1 percent) were specifically developed fortropical diseases (such as malaria, sleeping sickness, Chagas’

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disease, kala azar) and tuberculosis, diseases that account for11.4 percent of the global disease burden.
These diseases mainly affect poorer communities incountries of the South, which do not constitute a valuable
enough market to stimulate adequate R&D by themultinational pharmaceutical companies. Where drugs havebeen developed for the markets of affluent countries, they areoften priced out of reach of poorer communities sufferingfrom the same ailments.
This fundamental dilemma, between need and economic
demand, has been brought into sharp relief by the campaign
for affordable essential drugs, in particular, for anti-retroviraltreatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
We have seen how a profit-driven, market orientation cansacrifice a humane, lifesaving mission in order to cater to the
dictates of shareholder interests and market pricing strategies.
Genomic-based enterprises will follow the same
trajectory unless a pro-active campaign intervenes effectively
to re-direct them more towards needs-based priorities.

Avoiding Biopiracy? Protecting Medicinal Knowledge andPlants"
Irene J. Taafaki, Ph.D.
Director, University of the South Pacific Center in the
Marshall Islands
taafaki_i@usp.ac.fj
There is a worldwide trend, particularly in developing
countries such as the Marshall Islands, to recognize andincorporate time-tested traditional medicinal practices into themodern health-care system (WHO 2003). However, toeffectively bring about such an integration requires thattraditional medicinal knowledge make a transition from theprivate, often ‘secret’ domain, to the public so that it can be
documented and scrutinized. This raises concerns about‘biopiracy’ (Shiva, 1997). Healers and researchers express
strong reservations that both the genetics of medicinal plants
and the once closely held knowledge of healers will be
exploited and lost to external commercial biotechnologicalinterests. This paper describes the success and challenges of acollaborative project which aims to provide public access tothe specialized knowledge in the use of 56 plants by 40
women healers in the Marshall Islands while both preserving
the private right to the ownership of the formulas, and the
security of the common, free and self-regenerative species of
medicinal plants of the Marshall Islands.

National Bioethics Commission of Indonesia in theframework of national scientific research andtechnological development- Amru Hydari Nazif and Umar A. Jenie,
Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia
The establishment of the National Bioethics Commission
is seen as an institutionalization of a forum for moving
forward discussion and consideration of issues and problems
related to bioethics at the national level. It is a realization thatis welcomed by the science community. In general, it isaccepted that the challenge is to reach beyond the ‘code-ofethics approach’ leading to a more open debate of identifying

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Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 15 (July 2005)

and finding the future path and orientation of the newtechnologies. NBC will prepare and submit to theGovernment inputs in the framework of bioethical analysis toguide and push scientific research and technologicaldevelopment. Other study results are provided and presented
to the public at large, indirectly through publications, anddirectly through periodically held “road shows”.

Send papers to EJAIB Editorial Office

Appendices
Universal Declaration on the Human Genome
and Human Rights

Fax: Int+66-2-664-3772

Universal Declaration on Bioethics

Send papers to the editor in electronic form if possible.
Please use reference style used in News section, do not use
automatic footnotes or endnotes. Papers are peer reviewed.
The journal is independent of UNESCO and the contents are
not endorsed by either Eubios Ethics Institute or UNESCO, but
are published in the spirit of academic freedom.

See www.unesco.org

News in Bioethics & Biotechnology
http://www2.unescobkk.org/eubios /NBB.htm
News will appear in some future issues of EJAIB.

International Bioethics Education Project News
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bioethicseducation/>)

Revised version of the bioethics education textbook
is expected to be printed by November 2005.
IAB Genetics & Bioethics Network: On-line
The complete address list is updated on the Internet.
Send all changes to Darryl Macer.

ABA Membership
http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=41
Conferences
A bioethics conference calendar website is:
http://www.who.int/ethics/events/en/
Sixth Asian Bioethics Conference, 14-18 November, 2005,
Sanliurfa, Turkey. Contact: saksoy@harran.edu.tr Website:
http://www.jointbioethics.org
IV World Conference on Bioethics, Gijon, Spain. 21-25
November, 2005. Contact: bioetica@sibi.org

Editorial address:

Prof. Darryl Macer
RUSHSAP, UNESCO Bangkok,
920 Sukhumvit Rd, Prakanong,
Bangkok 10110, THAILAND

Email: asianbioethics@yahoo.co.nz
d.macer@unescobkk.org

The September issue of EJAIB will be available inNovember.
EJAIB Editor: Darryl Macer
Associate Editors
Jayapaul Azariah (All India Bioethics Association,
India),
Masahiro Morioka (Osaka Prefectural University,
Japan).
Managing Editor: Nobuko Yasuhara Macer
Editorial Assistant: Naoko Kimura, Catherine van
Zeeland
Editorial Board: Akira Akabayashi (Japan), Sahin
Aksoy (Turkey), Angeles Tan Alora (Philippines),
Atsushi Asai (Japan), Alireza Bagheri (Iran),
Gerhold Becker (Hong Kong), Hasna Begum(Bangladesh), Minakshi Bhardwaj (UK), ChristianByk (IALES; France), Ken Daniels (New Zealand),Leonardo de Castro (The Philippines), Ole Doering(Germany), Norio Fujiki (MURS Japan), Dena
Hsin (Taiwan), Tran Han Giang (Vietnam), Rihito
Kimura (Japan), Frank Leavitt (Israel), Abby
Lippman (Canada), Margaret Lock (Canada), H.
Ahmad Ludjito (Indonesia), V. Manickavel(Nepal), Anwar Nasim (Pakistan), Mary Ann Chen
Ng, (Philippines), Jing-Bao Nie (China, New
Zealand), Pinit Ratanakul (Thailand), Qiu Ren
Zong (China), Hyakudai Sakamoto (Japan), Sangyong Song (Korea); Noritoshi Tanida (Japan), A.K.
Tharien (India), Yanguang Wang (China), Daniel
Wikler (USA), Michael Yesley (USA), Jeong Ro
Yoon (South Korea).

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