Doubts over Log Export Ban

[SeaVisionBurma]

Experts say an export ban on raw timber that came into effect on April 1 could have a limited impact because of a lack of clarity from the government on how the ban would work in practice, as well as the effects of the conflict in Kachin State.

From The Myanmar Times by Bill O'Toole

This confusion could allow unscrupulous merchants to continue selling illegally cut timber across international borders, particularly in northern Myanmar where enforcement is weak because of conflict.

“Now there’s a strong push in the [Myanmar Timber Merchants Association] and the [Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry] to clamp down on illegal logging, but it’s not clear to me what illegal logging in this context actually means,” said Kevin Woods, a researcher with the NGO Forest Trends who specialises in Myanmar’s timber sector.

Read the full article here: Doubts Over Log Export Ban