Burmese teak imports anger conservationists

Thailand - The decision to allow the import of teak logs from Burma through Chiang Rai has brought cries of alarm from conservationists. They warn that allowing the resumption of Burmese teak imports will only lead to an increase in illegal logging in Thai forests.

The Mae Sai customs office in Chiang Rai has allowed the import of 270 teak logs worth about 40 million baht via the second Thai-Burmese friendship bridge.

The 270 cubic metres of high-grade timber belongs to Siva Co, a firm run by Thai businessmen.

It is the first time the import of Burmese teak has been allowed through Chiang Rai province.

The Mae Sai customs office said the Bangkok-bound logs, 60-100cm wide, are being temporarily kept at a warehouse in tambon Mae Sai.

Sasin Chalermlab, secretary-general of the Sueb Nakhasathien Foundation, expressed concern that Thai teak trees in the northern provinces would be felled as well and illegally included in the convoy of imported timber.

''This has happened before whenever the government has approved the import of Burmese timber.

''What the poachers do is fell the trees in Thai forests along the border and then smuggle them into Burma in order to import them back as Burmese logs,'' said Mr Sasin.

He called on the government to impose a permanent ban on Burmese timber imports because ''deforestation in the neighbouring country was bound to cause negative environmental impacts in Thailand, whose forest cover is interconnected with Burma's''.

Timber imports from Burma were halted after the 1997 Salween logging scandal when it was found that the trees felled in the Salween National Park were smuggled into Burma before being imported back into Thailand.

Mae Sai customs chief Chuchai Udompote revealed that another shipment of 20,000 teak logs, amounting to about 20,000 cubic metres, was waiting across the Burmese border and would be imported into Chiang Rai via the second friendship bridge soon.

The bridge, crossing the Mae Sai river, was opened in January. It links the Mae Sai district with the Burmese town of Tachilek.

Mr Chuchai said his agency had taxed Siva Co 3.2 million baht for the log imports.

The firm had sought permission to import 620 Burmese teak logs, worth about 100 million baht, from the Thai-Burma Township Border Committee (TBC) in Mae Sai district in December last year.

Anond Makmasil, of Siva Co, told the committee that teak imports from Burma were needed to ease a teak shortage in Thailand.

Burma exported about 500,000 cubic metres of timber to 167 countries last year, he said.


edited:16/07/2007
uploaded:26/07/2006