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202582
Sun, 08/21/2011 - 15:05
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http://m.oananews.org//node/202582
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Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation vows to fight against illegal rosewood logging
BANGKOK, August 21 (TNA) - Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has vowed to fight against illegal rosewood logging.
Sunant Arunnoparat, Director-General of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Sunday presided over an attestation ceremony held at the Phujong-Nayoi National Park in Ubon Ratchathani Province’s Nachaluay District -- at which administrators, police, soldiers and volunteers pledged to fight against the widespread illegal logging.
Sunant said in his speech that illegal rosewood logging has escalated and become more serious in Thai Northeast, the last and the world’s biggest source of rosewood. He said last year authorities arrested 58 illegal loggers involved in 118 illegal logging cases in Ubon Ratchathani Province.
The director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said police and soldiers find it harder to suppress illegal logging activities as local loggers often get supports from government officials. He vowed to dismiss corrupt officials and take legal actions against them.
According to the senior official, rosewood logs are sold in an exchange for illicit drugs and some local students are also believed to work for illegal loggers in exchange for these drugs.
Sunant said initially he has ordered all his subordinates to attend a drug test, noting that officials who come out with positive results will be required to undergo a rehabilitation program while those who are found to be involved in drug-trafficking activities will all be dismissed.
Furthermore, Sunant said the Provincial Administration Department and the Border Patrol Police has provided his staffs with guns and ammunition to ensure their safety while they are on a forest patrol. He said his staffs will also conduct the patrol more regularly, adding that he believed serious crackdown will result in a reduction of illegal rosewood logging activities. (TNA)
Sunant Arunnoparat, Director-General of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Sunday presided over an attestation ceremony held at the Phujong-Nayoi National Park in Ubon Ratchathani Province’s Nachaluay District -- at which administrators, police, soldiers and volunteers pledged to fight against the widespread illegal logging.
Sunant said in his speech that illegal rosewood logging has escalated and become more serious in Thai Northeast, the last and the world’s biggest source of rosewood. He said last year authorities arrested 58 illegal loggers involved in 118 illegal logging cases in Ubon Ratchathani Province.
The director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said police and soldiers find it harder to suppress illegal logging activities as local loggers often get supports from government officials. He vowed to dismiss corrupt officials and take legal actions against them.
According to the senior official, rosewood logs are sold in an exchange for illicit drugs and some local students are also believed to work for illegal loggers in exchange for these drugs.
Sunant said initially he has ordered all his subordinates to attend a drug test, noting that officials who come out with positive results will be required to undergo a rehabilitation program while those who are found to be involved in drug-trafficking activities will all be dismissed.
Furthermore, Sunant said the Provincial Administration Department and the Border Patrol Police has provided his staffs with guns and ammunition to ensure their safety while they are on a forest patrol. He said his staffs will also conduct the patrol more regularly, adding that he believed serious crackdown will result in a reduction of illegal rosewood logging activities. (TNA)
