Spreaders of Conspiracy Theories: Unmasking the Motivations Behind the Lies

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Thousands march against ivory trade
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation


Elephant lovers join a rally organised by the Animal Activist Alliance in Bangkok yesterday to raise awareness about illegal ivory trade.

BANGKOK: -- From Buenos Aires and Washington DC to London and Bangkok, thousands of elephant lovers joined marches in many cities across the globe in the single-largest demonstration to raise awareness of the illegal ivory trade.

The International March for Elephants was organised by elephant-watch agency David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) through its "iworry" campaign. About a thousand people joined the march in Bangkok yesterday, calling for improved regulations to tackle the illicit trade and save elephants.

Bangkok was among 15 cities around the globe that joined the worldwide demonstration to end ivory trade.

According to DSWT, last year up to 36,000 elephants were killed for their ivory. One elephant was killed every 15 minutes. The elephant-watch agency estimated that at the current rate of poaching, the African elephant could be extinct in the wild by 2025.

Because of the large poaching of African elephants, Thailand was listed by the international wildlife protection agency as the world's second-largest hub of illegal ivory trade, behind China, Elephant Nature Park director Sangduen Chailert said.

"We are here to demand that the government speed up its process to issue a law to end ivory trade," Sangduen said.

She added that previously Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had shown leadership and announced before more than 2,000 representatives of 150 countries at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora last March that she would abide by the legal amendments and announce measures to stop the ivory trade. This was in response to international calls for action by Thailand.

"So far, nothing has been done to end the illegal ivory trade," Sangduen said.

Thailand could face trade ban by the international community if it does not take any action to stop the ivory trade, she warned.

According to the wildlife monitoring organisation, Traffic, consignments of illegal ivory are transported from Africa through transit countries like Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the Philippines and then sent to destination countries such as Thailand and China, which are driving the ivory trade today - especially China.

Thailand has been named with eight other countries - Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, China - on a watch-list of nations where the illegal killing of elephants and ivory trade takes place.

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Chote Trachu said the government had already drafted a bill to control the ivory trade. Opinions are being sought from stakeholders on the draft bill, before it is forwarded to the House of Representatives to issue a law.

-- The Nation 2013-10-05

[clockman]

With Sino Thai people controlling everything in Thailand. What else can we expect!

[ChrisY1]

Very difficult to stop this trade when most (all) of the countries wealthy Chinese/Thai families are involved in collecting.....and most likely trading.

[bigbamboo]

Nice to see a mask being worn for a good reason.

As we know it will be difficult to stop the ivory trade in Thailand because of the influential Chinese connection here which runs all the way to the PM's office..... well both of them to be precise.

This disgraceful business has to be stopped. If only Thais took as much interest in protecting it's national symbol, the magnificent elephant, as it does images of it's national religious icon, who loved animals but never actually had any connection with Thailand then that really would be making the kind of merit the Buddha would have approved of.

[Pimay1]

She added that previously Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had shown leadership............ "So far, nothing has been done to end the illegal ivory trade," Sangduen said.

[Dibbler]

It must be very hard for her to turn those controversial words into real action when the very people who put her in power are the ones in charge of the live-elephant trade from Myanmar, quasi-legal trade in baby elephants within Thailand, and have their hands firmly on the money from illegal ivory imports from Africa, the carving industry, and exports to HK/mainland China. Let's wait to see how the Thai government implements their ivory action plan which they were forced to submit last May 15. The meeting of the CITES Standing Committee next April is a critical juncture. Thailand has to have shown positive results from actions to stop ivory trade by that point or face economic sanctions that would mean the shutting down of all currently legal trade in wildlife and plants with other member countries. Imagine the impact of losing trade from crocodiles and orchids overnight. It would be huge. The choice for YL is bringing the elephant traders into line or risk alienating a lot of other people who might not support her next time. That's assuming she actually gets to complete her full term as PM....

[noitom]

International group leadership should not take typical Thai blustering, smoke and mirrors, and empty promises for action. International leadership should bear down on Thai elephant ivory trafficking.

[soi41]

"Yingluck in her speech had promised" Yeah sure trusting the words of a Thai politician?

"Speed up the process to issue a law" Sounds good, but we all know about enforcement of laws here!

That said it is a good course, and I hope they are successful.

[Maggusoil]

Eat and trade and sell, until we have eaten everything and sold everything else . . .

and keep talking at the top . .

makes you sick