Thailand launches crackdown on wildlife trade

[george]

Thailand launches crackdown on wildlife trade

BANGKOK, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Thai police on Saturday assaulted aBangkok weekend market for wildlife trade, marking the start of a campaign against trafficking of endangered animals.

A group of some 300 police and forestry officials descended on the Chatuchak Weekend Market in northern Bangkok, seizing 1,000 creatures including 400 wild animals worth about 50 million baht (about 1.2 million US dollars), local press reported on Monday.

The operation was spearheaded by the Protection and SuppressionUnit of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, which aimed to wipe out the illegal trade by the end of this year, Bangkok Post quoted a senior official in charge of the raid as saying.

The call of clampdown on trade of wildlife has run high in Thailand since a case of cruel killing and trading of wild animalswas exposed last Tuesday.

Police and forestry officials found out carcasses and body parts of tigers and bears in a slaughterhouse located some 20 kilometers away from Bangkok last Tuesday.

A pair of orang-utans and other species including snake, turtleand bird were also discovered at the same place.

These animals were either illegally captured domestically or smuggled into the kingdom through other countries, according to authorities.

Strict legal measures are considered by many experts as a necessary way to fight against the brutal trade.

People who have traded or killed wildlife face the highest punishment of a fine of 40,000 baht (about 952 dollars) or four years in jail, according to the currently effective 1992 Wildlife Reserve and Protection Act.

"It's time to amend the law. Those who kill (endangered) wildlife, particularly the big and important animals, deserve the death penalty," said Plodprasop Suraswadi, permanent secretary of Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

Meanwhile, Forestry Police Division Commander Sawaek Pinsinchaisaid he is coordinating with the Army and the Anti-Money Laundering Office in the ongoing fight against wildlife poaching.

Wildlife poaching in Thailand was estimated to have amounted to199 million baht (4.74 million dollars) last year, according to a World Wildlife Fund report.

Among the seized animal products were 61,278 elephant tusks and4,237 crocodile hides.

Thailand has finished its 120-day amnesty period for wildlife owners, who were required to report to and register with the authority of wild species they kept.

The registration, ended on Sept. 9, reported a stunning high number of over 1.1 million protected animals under human care.

--Agents 2003-11-03