Dr Sakarindr Bhurniratana, the director of the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, who has also recently appeared on many forums, defended experimentation in Thailand In his testimony by saying that there are many countries which have already been engaging in GMO research. He downplayed fears of "gene jumping". a phenomenon in which genes introduced into GM crops turn up in the genomes of other plants growing nearby. He said the controversial papaya field trial was conducted in a safe way. Minister Samsak agreed, saying that the fields are well fenced and there are security guards to protect the fields, This was. of course, before the announcement last week that contamination had occurred.