Increase in smuggling of rare rosewood behind clashes: Thailand

[webfact]

Increase in smuggling of rare rosewood behind clashes
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Extensive illegal felling of rare "Phayoong" or Siamese rosewood trees and the smuggling of the wood has resulted in violent clashes between loggers and forest rangers, a senior Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation official said recently.

Over the past two years, 15 loggers and 28 rangers have died from these clashes.

A total of 48 deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2006, deputy DNP director-general Niphon Chotibal said. There are around 11,000 forest rangers employed by the DNP both on a full-time and part-time basis nationwide.

These trees were usually felled by loggers protected by armed foreigners using weapons that were superior to those used by rangers, Niphon said, adding that this was the key reason why the casualties sustained by the DNP were so high. The felling normally happens in the Northeast and in Prachin Buri's Thab Lan National Park

Earlier this week, two people were killed in a shootout between forest rangers and a group of hilltribe poachers who were hunting tigers in Huay Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai Naresuan National Parks. The area covers Umphang district in Tak province.

A DNP source said the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry planned to purchase better weapons after hearing about the rangers' inferior firepower.

"A key reason for the high number of casualties - despite training provided by US forestry authorities - is the inferior firepower of the rangers when faced with poachers of Phayoong wood," the source said.

Niphon said there were four national parks where rangers were attacked by poachers and loggers. Much of the wood was taken from regions where the Thai, Cambodian and Laos borders met, making it easier for smugglers to escape.

To further cope with the problem, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi on Wednesday ordered Natural Resources and Environment Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri to step up security.

A permit allowing the planting of Phayoong wood is also being considered.

More than 2,300 cubic metres of illegally cut Phayoong rosewood, priced at Bt300,000 a unit, has been seized by the DNP.

It will be sold legally to interested buyers.


-- The Nation 2013-09-21

[Dibbler]

"More than 2,300 cubic metres of illegally cut Phayoong rosewood, priced at Bt300,000 a unit, has been seized by the DNP. It will be sold legally to interested buyers."

This is the definition of corrupt practices in forestry law enforcement. Confiscate illegally cut timber and then sell it as legal timber. This merely stimulates the illegal trade in this internationally protected species most of which goes to China. No wonder the Thai authorities are stopping Cambodian loggers with live rounds to get their hands on this timber!

However, perhaps DNP, Customs and the Forestry Department should be reminded of a little meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties earlier this year in Bangkok where the Thai government was successful in having Thai rosewood upgraded to an Appendix II status. That means the rosewood can be legally traded but only from legal sources such as plantations and only under strict quota, and an export permit is required to ensure it does not originate from illegal logging.

These people must think most Thais have incredibly short memories...

[robblok]

why not get some extra fire power or bring in the army.. i mean its not like Thailand has a lack of man power.

[Dibbler]

why not get some extra fire power or bring in the army.. i mean its not like Thailand has a lack of man power.

If they bring in the army, border police or "thahan pran" then DNP has to share the confiscated rosewood with other agencies. this is something they would rather not do. Instead to boost numbers along the border, they are bringing up rangers from parks in southern Thailand to fight the Cambodian loggers, and the latter are armed with weapons borrowed from the Cambodian RCAF, or are themselves are RCAF, hence firefights are common.

[mamba yuck]

It will be sold legally to interested buyers.

is this the tree that is a precursor to the popular thai and international illegal drug?

[Dibbler]

It will be sold legally to interested buyers.

is this the tree that is a precursor to the popular thai and international illegal drug?

No its a tropical hardwood that is made into luxury furniture and in great demand in China

[khwaibah]

why not get some extra fire power or bring in the army.. i mean its not like Thailand has a lack of man power.

If they bring in the army, border police or "thahan pran" then DNP has to share the confiscated rosewood with other agencies. this is something they would rather not do. Instead to boost numbers along the border, they are bringing up rangers from parks in southern Thailand to fight the Cambodian loggers, and the latter are armed with weapons borrowed from the Cambodian RCAF, or are themselves are RCAF, hence firefights are common.

The DNP has been working side by side with the Thai Royal Border Police and the army for the past two years in my area.

[tomross46]

Who are the politicians involved? If there is money to be made by corrupt means, there are politicians involved.

[Bakseeda]

It will be sold legally to interested buyers.

is this the tree that is a precursor to the popular thai and international illegal drug?

Since when was Asprin an illegal drug... you are barking up the wrong Willow tree..!

[RubbaJohnny]

one could say hand in hand

[Bagwan]

How long does it take for a rosewood tree to mature? If there is a Worldwide demand could Thailand satisfy it? Just asking.

Later.

I've just found out that it takes about 200 years for a tree to mature to a useable size. Another bright idea consigned to the trash bin.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Bagwan

[mamba yuck]

It will be sold legally to interested buyers.

is this the tree that is a precursor to the popular thai and international illegal drug?

Since when was Asprin an illegal drug... you are barking up the wrong Willow tree..!

lets just say, what you dont know wont harm you and multi harvesting is probably going on.

[LuckyLew]

Give the rangers AK47's ... and orders to shoot on site

[Joe Mamma]

I think it is a good tone wood, and will never be available soon.

[tragickingdom]

If the useless military strongmen can splash out hundreds of millions of baht for fake bomb scanners, billions for a unused aircraft carrier or a few million baht for a gas-filling of it's ridiculous Zeppelin there must be at least sufficient money to protect the lives of rangers that protect future generations from the greedy mafia.

[kuiburi]

Better to sell it to legal buyers then burn it like they do with Ivory and tigerskins . U can't plant the logs , elephants don't come back to life if they get there tusks back and tigers will not roam the jungles again if they get there skin back .

The money made with legal selling can help the family's of the death rangers , use it to improve schools , hospitals , national parks , ect .

[robblok]

Better to sell it to legal buyers then burn it like they do with Ivory and tigerskins . U can't plant the logs , elephants don't come back to life if they get there tusks back and tigers will not roam the jungles again if they get there skin back .

The money made with legal selling can help the family's of the death rangers , use it to improve schools , hospitals , national parks , ect .

Good idea... not.

If you ban all trade... then all trade is illegal. If you sell some part of it legal then illegal stuff can be branded as legal. Especially in corrupt countries it would make it impossible to check. In a way you then create even more problems as they can now more easy move the illegal stuff.

[kuiburi]

Better to sell it to legal buyers then burn it like they do with Ivory and tigerskins . U can't plant the logs , elephants don't come back to life if they get there tusks back and tigers will not roam the jungles again if they get there skin back .

The money made with legal selling can help the family's of the death rangers , use it to improve schools , hospitals , national parks , ect .

Good idea... not.

If you ban all trade... then all trade is illegal. If you sell some part of it legal then illegal stuff can be branded as legal. Especially in corrupt countries it would make it impossible to check. In a way you then create even more problems as they can now more easy move the illegal stuff.

I know , I know , forgive me i was just dreaming , i just forgot peoples greed .

[dukechance]

glad the tiger poachers were killed, if that was indeed the their intent! my question is, as I've heard the moral question of "would u kill a poacher of game" if u wouldn't be indicted. hell yah I would! but these trees surely aren't just alive as us? you know, it's all sad. I wonder what sueb nakhatsian would say.

[allan michaud]

why not get some extra fire power or bring in the army.. i mean its not like Thailand has a lack of man power.

If they bring in the army, border police or "thahan pran" then DNP has to share the confiscated rosewood with other agencies. this is something they would rather not do. Instead to boost numbers along the border, they are bringing up rangers from parks in southern Thailand to fight the Cambodian loggers, and the latter are armed with weapons borrowed from the Cambodian RCAF, or are themselves are RCAF, hence firefights are common.

The DNP has been working side by side with the Thai Royal Border Police and the army for the past two years in my area.

He's right that it is largely the Cambodian military doing this, especially in the area mentioned near the Thai/Lao/Cambodian border, which I know quite well (on the Cambodian side). The military presence is so heavy anywhere along the norther border that there is no way anyone could get the wood out without their help. Since the outbreak of fighting over Preah Vihear temple the Cambodian military has trashed large areas of forest in the north. I work in the conservation sector here and I can assure everyone that Cambodia's Rosewood (and Beng which is similarly priced) have almost completely disappeared from the entire country.

However I feel absolutely certain that the Thai military are also involved as at USD10,000 per cubic meter it's irresistible. I also have to question the numbers of deaths as the reports here list dozens of Khmers killed by the Thais over the last 2-3 years, it must be nearer 100 (no exaggeration).

Here the loggers now use luxury SUV's like Landcruisers and Lexus to transport the luxury timber as they know the police are generally too scared to stop an expensive car that probably belongs to a very high ranking official. Having said that the forest rangers here have stopped (and been killed by) military personnel in military vehicles transporting timber.

[paz]

He's right that it is largely the Cambodian military doing this, especially in the area mentioned near the Thai/Lao/Cambodian border, which I know quite well (on the Cambodian side). The military presence is so heavy anywhere along the norther border that there is no way anyone could get the wood out without their help. Since the outbreak of fighting over Preah Vihear temple the Cambodian military has trashed large areas of forest in the north. I work in the conservation sector here and I can assure everyone that Cambodia's Rosewood (and Beng which is similarly priced) have almost completely disappeared from the entire country.

However I feel absolutely certain that the Thai military are also involved as at USD10,000 per cubic meter it's irresistible. I also have to question the numbers of deaths as the reports here list dozens of Khmers killed by the Thais over the last 2-3 years, it must be nearer 100 (no exaggeration).

Here the loggers now use luxury SUV's like Landcruisers and Lexus to transport the luxury timber as they know the police are generally too scared to stop an expensive car that probably belongs to a very high ranking official. Having said that the forest rangers here have stopped (and been killed by) military personnel in military vehicles transporting timber.

What a sad corner of Asia that is. One is willing to travel to learn, to see. Then when confronted with the fact as you report, starst doubting and apprecaite more staying home. Also because there is nothing that can be done to change the situation.