Thai prime minister announces end to ivory trade

Bangkok, Thailand – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade in Thailand, seizing a key opportunity to stem global wildlife trafficking. Her statement came after the call of nearly 1.5 million WWF and Avaaz supporters.

Prime Minister Shinawatra said at the opening of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok that Thailand would take steps to end ivory trade – the first time the Thai government has said this publicly.

“As a next step we will forward amending the national legislation with the goal of putting an end on ivory trade and to be in line with international norms,” Prime Minster Shinawatra said. “This will help protect all forms of elephants including Thailand’s wild and domestic elephants and those from Africa.”

Ending ivory trade in Thailand – currently the world’s largest unregulated ivory market – will go a long way in stemming a global poaching crisis that is leading to the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants each year and fuelling a global criminal trade in animal parts.

Full Story: http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207736?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=blog

--WWF Global 2013-03-03

Yingluck: "Dear International Community in Thailand, dear WWF and Avaaz, I announce hereby the end of the Ivory trade. If you have any more questions, I'll let my Forestry and wildlife ministries handle with this issue. Problem solved, Have a nice day,... bye, bye..."

And in the mean time, the underground business continues under secret staging grounds...

This is good news. Soon ivory trading in Thailand will be as illegal as gambling and prostitution.

Yingluck: "Dear International Community in Thailand, dear WWF and Avaaz, I announce hereby the end of the Ivory trade. If you have any more questions, I'll let my Forestry and wildlife ministries handle with this issue. Problem solved, Have a nice day,... bye, bye..."

And in the mean time, the underground business continues under secret staging grounds...

Please pay attention! The PM said 'will take steps'. She means that, surely. But you have to realize she's a busy person, what with supporting a Pol. General to help him get elected as Bangkok Governor and going through her shoppingplan itenary for the Sweden/Belgium trip which is so much more important.

I wonder if we could get 1.5 million signatures on a petition to change the long term visa laws here the PM would approve? I know it is off topic somewhat but couldn't resist. It is kinda on topic considering a petition is in the OP.

first time I have seen her refered to as Prime Minister Shinawatra

Maybe they are trying to make it easier to stick Thaksin in to the PM job like no one will notice.

Yes she will take steps just as soon as she can buy suitable shoes to do it in. In the mean time now that they have peace talks with non combatants in the south they will probably be able to turn Chalerm lose to take care of the problem.

The problem of course is how to get the kick backs and satisfy international organizations.

"Thai prime minister announces end to ivory trade."

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade"

Prime Minister Shinawatra said that Thailand would take steps to end ivory trade"

Each sentence has a slightly diminished meaning I think.

She also might have said" There's a good chance Thailand will outlaw ivory trading when pigs begin landing at Suvarnabhumi airport.

But thank you all for coming today and enjoy your stay in Thailand"

We have to wait a bit to learn exactly what Yingluck meant with her statement. Although WWF's response included reference to a 'ban on ivory trading', I wonder if Yingluck was really referring to a ban on the local ivory trade. More likely she meant a 'ban' on the illegal use of African ivory inside the Thai ivory trading environment. The ban may simply comprise of beefing up of legislation and greater focus on monitoring and enforcement against African ivory use in Thailand.

Lets not be too cynical here. In the run up to the meeting CITIES was widely expected to issue a set of recommendations on the Ivory trade with a focus on Thailands trade in ivory; recommendations which, as s signatory to CITIES, would be binding for Thailand.

The PM has simply signaled her and Thailands acceptance of the forthcoming recommendations and has shown that at least in principle Thailand will follow international norms.

Breaking up and stopping such a deeply ingrained and lucrative trading practice in Thailand will take time for a myriad of 'corrupt' reasons and problems Thailand presents, but it is a start.

does anyone else in PT know about this or just another random spur of the moment outburst

The rodents will now take the underground trade route, measures to combat this are harsh penalties if court, where the culprits can't be let off because they apologized to the victim, something that sends a strong message.

"goal of putting an end to the ivory trade". Likely to go the same way as all the other goals. The only goal operating in Thailand is make a quick buck by whatever means.

I wonder if we could get 1.5 million signatures on a petition to change the long term visa laws here the PM would approve? I know it is off topic somewhat but couldn't resist. It is kinda on topic considering a petition is in the OP.

I think the only problem is, our numbers are not diminishing, and our "tusks" arent what they once where.

I hope that this pledge is more effective than the campaign she promised that would end corruption, or the Deputy PM and Minister for Ear Medicines promise to rid Phuket of it's mafia's within 3 months (a year ago ?). Maybe she would just like Brad Pitt or whoever it was who called her to implement a ban, to be her guest at the Four Seasons, far better than four businessmen she must think. I imagine she has forgotten she has said she will ban Ivory, already with the failure to secure the Governors seat in BKK.

Well.....she has stated to start an the end to ivory trading, to the global audience.....I'm sure she would understand the seriousness of this statement and the loss of face that would follow if nothing happens.....

Yes....black trading will continue no doubt...but at least this is something that all wild life lovers would be especially pleased to hear.

"Thai prime minister announces end to ivory trade."

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade"

Prime Minister Shinawatra said that Thailand would take steps to end ivory trade"

Each sentence has a slightly diminished meaning I think.

She also might have said" There's a good chance Thailand will outlaw ivory trading when pigs begin landing at Suvarnabhumi airport.

But thank you all for coming today and enjoy your stay in Thailand"

It will end when the elephants are all dead.

lets have a crackdown on this trade .. next months headlines ..

Did she say which end?

And from a different angle,

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade"

Too late to claim this one Yingluck, the election is over.

Leonardo DiCaprio calls for Thailand to stop its Ivory Trade (2 weeks ago) and suddenly Thailand stops it, (at the click of a finger).

Funny how it takes YEARS to do anything else!!

So it makes me wonder where the hidden agenda is?

I'm sure there is a substantial amount of PR gained from such an event?

... and Thailand wants to get this american 'so called' weather project back on track.

- I, for one, do not believe it is only a weather project. I am sure there is plenty of other hidden stuff involved.

My main point is that it took LESS THAN A FORTNIGHT to bring this into action!! yet, it really does take months and years before they ever bother to address other things on a similar (or more important) level.

I wonder if we could get 1.5 million signatures on a petition to change the long term visa laws here the PM would approve? I know it is off topic somewhat but couldn't resist. It is kinda on topic considering a petition is in the OP.

I'm down for an active campaign.

....oh yeah...and the drug trade too....and corruption too...a child abuse...and the unrest in the south....and the flooding....anything else???

Faced with ninety percent of the world's nations showing up in Bangkok to argue against the continuation of this disgusting trade, one and a half million public petitioners and the most popular international movie star in Thailand she was left with little choice but to do their bidding or else be branded the Wicked Witch of the East.

A great day for elephants (and their supporters) everywhere.

Just like big bro promised to erradicate traffic jams in the big mango in 6 months

Wow, very impressive. This is comparable to her brother's announcing that all drug addiction in THailand would come to an end within 90 days, some years ago.

Would have looked a lot better if she had come up with the idea on her

own, rather than in essence being forced into " steps" against it by massive

public pressure. Gee maybe I can email Leonardo and ask him to rally against

corruption here in Thailand.... :-)

Side note: Has any government proclamation of this sort ever come

true? Stopping the drug trade, fixing Bangkok traffic, and stopping

the mafia in Phuket sure as hell did not come true..

just like that , huh?

Yingluck's obviously got it hard for DiCaprio.

As usual, the many TV cynics never disappoint and are quickly here with their snide comments.

Personally I think Yinluck has good intentions (and I'm not a fan), and although I'm not naive as to the corruption and cheaters, I do think this will make a positive difference in illicit ivory trade. Here's hoping.