Cutting Trees

[Bkung]

Dear Masters and forum readers,

I am a businessman living here in BAngkok and we got one project in Myammar about 25,000 rais plot of land to cutting down the forest and replant palm oil trees to help the poor country to build economy.

I understand that a Buddhism it was not right to destroy nature by itself even cutting trees in forest but in other way we are helping the poor nation to teach them how to farm own food as in the future more people will die because of food shortage.

The reason to clear the forest is to plant palm oil trees to help the poor to have cooking oil and food supply.

It's two way edge sword where to do or not?

Can anyone help or angle in this forum advise me about this?

In other way we are cutting trees but if it can help human from starvation ,

we might use the profit to spend on school and hospital for the poor by using the income from the forest or it's a sin to do this project?

Confuse?

[IMA_FARANG]

An interesting question.

I would say you must make that decision based on your own feelings and your judgement.

In my opinion, if I was sure that the project would really benefit those people, I would do it.

I had a friend, a Burmese woman, whose family owned land in Burma for many years, until they left when the Socialists took over. The generals offered her the chance to rebuild their rubber plantation lands if she would invest her families money in Myanmar. It seemed like a good idea, until she found out that the generals were planning to remove all the people living there now, so she could plant Rubber trees. So she turned down the deal, because all those people would be removed from the land by the generals. Yes, the rubber trees would benefit the economy, but displacing all the people living there for that reason was objectionable to my friend.

So, I would say, if you really believe the project will benefit the ordinary people, you must make your own decision based on your principles and your feeling. There is no easy answer, base your's on your Buddhist principles.

But, make sure that they really do benefit the ordinary people, and not just some general. And make sure it doesn't displace others to obtain the land.

[Brucenkhamen]

There is no issue with killing plants or trees in Buddhism, only with killing animals.

If we didn't kill plants and trees we'd simply have no food.

Of course conservation is important to a lot of Buddhist particularly westerners, and in Thailand because they've chopped down far too many trees it has become an issue for Buddhists to be concerned about.

However Myanmar has no shortage of trees and if you are convinced the project is worthwhile and you are sensitive to the ecology then I don't see it as a moral issue.

[rockyysdt]

It's a double edged sword.

On the one hand you have under privileged & starving people.

On the other hand you're destroying the earths lungs (ability to remove CO2 from the atmosphere) & an animal eco system.

The double whammy is that palm oil is very high in saturated fat and is a dietary no no.

In my country they are already warning against palm oil consumption & are moving towards better labeling of processed foods containing it.

In my opinion high consumption palm oil in Thailand due to its low cost is a ticking time bomb which will lead to much ill health.

Is it possible to research further & choose a worthier crop, such as rice?

[fabianfred]

....and since when has the Burmese Junta done anything to help the Burmese people....it may lie but it is only interested in making more money...to buy more weapons...to kill more of its own people...

I would do nothing which the government advised me...knowing that they only lie....

[rockyysdt]

....and since when has the Burmese Junta done anything to help the Burmese people....it may lie but it is only interested in making more money...to buy more weapons...to kill more of its own people...

I would do nothing which the government advised me...knowing that they only lie....

Agreed.

If this is a Burmese government project the oil will be destined for export markets, and not to feed the poor locals.

[fabianfred]

Probably land they have grabbed from the Karen and Shan who they have driven off it anyway.....

[rockyysdt]

Bking.

I'd walk away from this project.

What looks like a useless forest may actually be a food bowl for hunter gatherer locals.

For example the forest near the village I frequented yielded:

Fish.

Crabs.

Snails.

Ants & ant eggs.

Mushrooms.

Bamboo.

Water beetles.

Frogs.

Of no consequence to westerners these are an important source of protein for poor country folk.

The Palm plantation will yield short term employment to clear & plant but after this will become useless to locals.

Palm oil yields good income as an export product.

You will be raping the environment.

[camerata]

One post has been deleted. Bkung, this is the Buddhist forum, not the Business in Myanmar forum.