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BKK Post, March 8, 1998. SALWEEN



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.