Myanmar: The Dangers of Chinese Interference in Illegal Logging Case

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar: The Dangers of Chinese Interference in Illegal Logging Case

By YUN SUN

On Wednesday, the news that Burma had sentenced 153 illegal loggers from China to life imprisonment was splashed across Chinese media. The Chinese Embassy in Rangoon verified on the same day that the actual sentence was 20 years in prison, but launched “solemn” representations over punishments it decried as “too heavy”.

The statement was echoed by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which demanded that Burma “take all the factors into consideration and properly handle this case”. While the prospects of a successful appeal remains unclear, the sentences could spark a diplomatic dispute between China and Burma and run the risk of a Chinese interference in Burma’s internal affairs.

From China’s perspective, the sentences indeed seem heavy, despite somewhat commensurate punishments under China’s criminal code. Article 345 of China’s Criminal Law stipulates that illegal logging of relatively large amount (more than 2-5 cubic meters) is subject to a jail term of up to three years, with a maxiumum seven year sentence for amounts over 50 cubic meters.

Only for those cases where the amount of timber involved is particularly large (over 100-200 cubic meters) are jail terms of more than seven years warranted. If the reports of the seizure of 240 logs during the raid on the illegal operation are true, the most severe penalty under Chinese law would likely have been applied.

Read more: http://www.irrawaddy.org/contributor/the-dangers-of-chinese-interference-in-illegal-logging-case.html

[FangFerang]

The Chinese want timber and does not want it's illegal lumberjacks jailed. Not complicated at all....

[spidermike007]

This is indeed a surprising case, since the amount of influence China exerts over Burma is unprecedented. For Burma to even make a move like this is astonishing. There must have been a lot of public outcry from the denuding of the mountains, and the resulting flooding. It seems like a wonderful sentence. Raping the land is a serious offense. Cutting down old growth timber is a very serious offense. Good on Burma for doing this. Let us hope they do not bow to the almighty China, and their overlords.

Now, can one even imagine such a thing taking place in Thailand?

[Tomtomtom69]

This is indeed a surprising case, since the amount of influence China exerts over Burma is unprecedented. For Burma to even make a move like this is astonishing. There must have been a lot of public outcry from the denuding of the mountains, and the resulting flooding. It seems like a wonderful sentence. Raping the land is a serious offense. Cutting down old growth timber is a very serious offense. Good on Burma for doing this. Let us hope they do not bow to the almighty China, and their overlords.

Now, can one even imagine such a thing taking place in Thailand?

Well actually I can, if you go over to the Phnom Penh post, there have been numerous articles published over the past couple of years about Cambodian loggers who illegally fell rosewood trees on the Thai side near the Cambodian border. The penalties for these loggers ranged from extra-judicial executions to getting shot at and being jailed.

Chinese loggers aren't present in Thailand and even if they were, the first offence they would be charged with is "working without a work permit" followed by "doing a job reserved for Thais" followed by "performing an illegal task" or similar. I'm not sure they would be killed like the Cambodians have been, but perhaps. Anyway, there is no need to speculate because the only people who may still be logging illegally and getting away with it are Thais. But overall, Thailand has managed to protect it's forests relatively well. Illegal timber smuggling is no longer an issue in Thailand - Laos and Myanmar are a different story.

I like you also hope that Myanmar becomes more assertive about not bowing to China. Chinese people are foreigners in Myanmar and have no rights to be logging illegally in a foreign country [Myanmar]. They should buzz off and find work on their side of the border. Imagine if 100 white men suddenly went to cut down trees in Myanmar - same thing.

[Tomtomtom69]

The Chinese want timber and does not want it's illegal lumberjacks jailed. Not complicated at all....

Imagine if 150 Indians or westerners or whatever nationality/ethnicity went into China to log their trees? I wonder how it would be if the shoe was on the other foot?

China shouldn't complain. It has it's own anti-logging laws. If Chinese citizens want to commit illegal acts inside their own country that's their issue. But they have no rights to be doing it in another sovereign country like Myanmar. It also stinks of hypocrisy and double standards because if illegal logging is heavily punished inside China's borders, then why would the Chinese authorities be concerned about the fact another country also has strict laws on this? Or maybe it was just that they thought the original punishment was too harsh compared to their own laws?