In the face of government efforts to stem the flow of illegally felled timber from Myanmar, smugglers have learned new tricks to avoid the eyes of the authorities.
Between April and August this year, Myanmar police seized 22,000 tones of illegal timber and arrested more than 3,000 suspected smugglers. In many of these busts, the wood was hidden in vehicles ranging from passenger buses to luxury cars.
“The smugglers have become resourceful,” Yangon Region Forestry Department director Thein Toe told Eleven. “One time we found ourselves seizing illegal logs from an ambulance!”
He also said smugglers have been paying unwitting villagers to illegally fell trees on their behalf, highlighting the need for better education across the country about environmental conservation.
“We are trying to educate villagers. Many of them are impoverished, and smugglers pay them well. But the people should see the bigger picture. Deforestation will only bring disasters for our country,” Thein Toe said.
Smugglers are also shifting their bases of operations in response to recent crackdowns. Sagaing Region was once a major hub for illegal timber harvesting, producing 8,600 tons of hardwood that were seized by police last year. This year, that number has dropped to 3,500 tons.
“After a 1,000-ton bust, the smugglers have turned to Mon State seeking a sea lane,” Thein Toe said.
Shan and Kachin states, however, which are home to heavily forested border areas, continue to report the highest rates of wood smuggling.
International experts say the key to protecting Myanmar’s forests from illegal loggers is multi-agency and international cooperation.
“Secondly, Myanmar can’t do this alone,” Environmental Investigation Agency campaigner Faith Doherty told Coconuts earlier this year. “[Countries] importing Myanmar hardwoods, including teak, also need to support the Forestry Department’s efforts. For example, Myanmar has a [round] log export ban. There should be a log import ban from neighboring countries, particularly China, to support Myanmar’s efforts.”
