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BKK Post, March 8, 1998. SALWEEN
- Subject: BKK Post, March 8, 1998. SALWEEN
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 01:01:00
March 8, 1998. SALWEEN SCANDAL
Logging goes on
despite police
probe
New logs found in Mae Hong Son forest
Illegal logging is continuing unabated, despite the investigation
and troop deployment to protect the Salween forest in Mae
Hong Son, according to Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont, the deputy
police chief.
As chairman of the fact-finding team entrusted to apprehend
illegal loggers and corrupt officials working in tandem with the
loggers, he said he had found several newly-felled logs during his
recent inspection of Salween national park and wildlife
sanctuary.
"For instance, in Huey Korapoo, we found 20 teak trees felled
within about one rai. It is very sad because most teak trees grow
near the stream," said Pol Gen Sant, adding the leaves on many
of the trees were still green.
"This shows they were felled very recently before we arrived
there," he said.
He did not identify who paid the Karen refugees to undertake
illegal logging. "You reporters should have their names already."
The probe team has divided the culprits into three groups: the
loggers who actually felled the trees; the officials who
deliberately overlooked the illegal activities; and the financiers.
The investigation team itself is divided into three groups: One
headed by Plodprasob Surasawadee, deputy permanent
secretary of agriculture, is tasked with collecting information
about the logging gangs and their moving of logs out of the forest
to the sawmills; Another, headed by Pol Gen Vinit
Krajangsont, aims to catch the offenders; and The third, led
by National Security Council secretary-general Kachadpai
Buruspat, is charged with finding out the extent of Karen
involvement in deforestation.
While accusing Karen refugees of illegal logging, Pol Gen Sant
blamed Thai financiers for paying the Karens to do the dirty
work.
A senior police officer alleged that an arrested Karen had
admitted that between 700 and 800 teak trees were felled daily
in the forest.
The source said four interior ministers in past governments
endorsed the opening of border passes to allow logs from Burma
to be hauled across the border into Thailand.
Lt-Gen Kemchart Nitisiri, a top executive of Sakabi, a timber
company granted permission to haul logs from Burma, was
questioned for five hours by police on Friday.
Pol Gen Vinit, the head of the probe team, said the interrogation
was routine to gather information.
Mae Hong Son governor Pakdee Chompuming and six other
senior officials were yesterday questioned in Chiang Mai by
Interior Permanent Secretary Chanasak Yuwaboon.
Mr Pakdee later said he was not involved in the illegal logging
but, as a governor, he had to be responsible for the failure to
protect the Salween forest
Meanwhile, former deputy Forestry Department chief Prawat
Thanadkha and his wife faced arrest warrants after they failed to
turn up for interrogation yesterday.
Mr Prawat, Mrs Juree and their children were then asked to turn
up for questioning over the five million baht bribe on Tuesday.
Pol Maj-Gen Wassana Permlarp, deputy commissioner of the
Central Investigation Bureau, yesterday sent investigators to see
the couple but they were not home.
The couple was supposed to show up at the Crime Suppression
Division yesterday morning for official questioning.
They have been unofficially questioned several times in
connection with the bribe and the Salween illegal logging.
Mr Prawat was transferred to an inactive post after he had tried
to donate the money to the Thais-Help-Thais fund.