URGENT ACTION ALERT RE THAI MESS

[Guest guest]

ACTION ALERT RE THAILAND

 

Thai wildlife officials have been raiding animal dealers' premises in

October and November 2003. These raids have received wide press coverage in

Thailand and on Internet lists.

 

On 30 October 2003, the Bangkok newspaper Nation carried a call by Khun

Plodprasop Suraswadi, Permanent Secretary at the Natural Resources and

Environment Ministry, for Thailand to follow China's lead and institute the

death penalty for those who hunt and traffic wildlife.

 

He was referring to a raid conducted on 28 October 2003 on the premises of

Nonthaburi resident Luethai Tiewchareon. Forestry officials and police had

seized carcasses of tigers and bears, destined for the restaurant and

medical trades, and some live tiger and bear cubs.

 

In another raid police seized two live orangutans. One of the baby

orangutans was extremely sick and later died. Later two more infant

orangutans were seized.

 

A major raid took place on 3 November 2003 at another home in Nonthaburi.

Thanajak Suthinunt owned this one. Hundreds of live exotic birds were

confiscated. Sadly, a baby orangutan less than six months old was found in

the animal trader's freezer. The photo of this tiny corpse made front-page

news in Thailand. Khun Chawann Tunhikorn, director of Thailand's Wildlife

Conservation Office, which organized the raids, commented that he believed

that the dead orangutan had been smuggled into Thailand from Indonesia by

the same people who imported the two babies confiscated a few days earlier.

 

Other confiscations involved wildlife offered for sale at Chatujak Market

which is held every weekend in Bangkok.

 

The 5 November 2003 issue of the Nation carried an editorial by Pennapa

Hongthong about the tragedy, emphasizing the traffic in orangutans.

Extracts follow.

 

" Being protective of their young, orangutan mothers always keep their

babies within reach, not only to feed them with milk but also to prevent

them from getting lost in the treetops where they reside. It is impossible

for humans to climb up a tree as high as 30 metres to grab a baby from its

mother. And it is impossible that an orangutan mother would give away her

child without a fight.

The truth is, the only way to take a baby orangutan is to shoot

the mother. The large size and slow movements of the species make it an

easy target for hunters. However, sometimes things don't go as planned.

Many baby orangutans have been accidentally shot as well, or die from

falling to the ground together with their dying mothers.

An orangutan mother has only one baby at a time. To take one baby

as a cute pet - worth up to 500,000 baht ($12,500 U.S. dollars) - at least

one mother must be killed.

The International Primate Protection League, a United States-based

conservation organisation, say they have information that six baby

orangutans were shipped to Thailand two months ago.

It is believed that members of a wildlife-trade racket entered the

habitat of the orangutans and shot their mothers dead. The babies were then

smuggled to Thailand on a fishing boat from Indonesia to Samut Sakhon

harbour. They must have been kept in a dark and damp room in the boat's

hull. Some probably died on the way while the survivors slipped into

Thailand without passing a customs checkpoint. If the three remaining

babies in the recent shipment are not found, where will they end up? "

 

Later raids focused on Safari World (see their web site at

http://safariworld.com) - no less than 116 orangutans were found at this

facility. According to the Thai press, 44 were " legal. " However, there is

no way to acquire even 44 orangutans legally. Thailand has been a member of

the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since

April 1983 and Safari World was not founded till 1988. Orangutans are

listed on Appendix I of CITES and ALL commercial trade is banned. IPPL

suspects that Mr. Pin, the owner of Safari World, plans to sell some of

these orangutans to Chinese zoos on fraudulent (made-at-home or obtained

from sleazy government officials) " captive-born " papers.

 

Thailand has never taken wildlife crime seriously. The government issues

periodic " amnesties " so that all owners of wildlife will be " forgiven " if

they declare their " loot. "

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

 

IPPL requests animal friends to send COURTEOUS letters or holiday cards to

the Thai officials whose addresses are listed below. The Queen of Thailand

is wildlife-friendly and can really help. Postage from the U.S. to Thailand

costs 80 cents per ounce. Here are some suggested talking points:

 

1) Applaud the raids on animal dealers and zoos, and request that they

continue. 2) Request that Thai laws be strengthened to punish wildlife

criminals. 3) Urge that these laws be strictly enforced. 4) Request that

those in possession of smuggled wildlife be punished with long-term prison

sentences, not given amnesties.

 

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand

Royal Grand Palace

Na Phralan Road, Phra Nakhon

Bangkok, Thailand

 

Mr. Somchai Piensstarporn, Director General

Department of National Parks and Wildlife

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Phaholyothin Road, Jatujak

Bangkok 10900, Thailand

 

His Excellency Mr. Sakthip Krairiksh

Ambassador of Thailand to the United States

Royal Thai Embassy

1024 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 401

Washington, DC 20007, USA

Fax: 202 944-3611

 

For other Thai Embassy addresses go to

<http://www.traveller2000.com/thailand/embassies_worldwide.htm>www.traveller2000\

..com/thailand/embassies_worldwide.htm

 

 

Letters to the Prime Minister commending the raids would also be

appreciated. Bring to his notice how interested people all over the world

are in Thailand and the nation's wild animals. Mention that the illegal

wildlife trade is damaging Thailand's reputation and may possibly hurt the

tourist trade.

 

H.E. Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra

The Prime Minister, Government House

Nakorn Pathom Road, Dusit, Bangkok 13000

Thailand

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman

International Primate Protection League

PO Box 766

Summerville, SC 29484, USA

Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

 

" He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt.

He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord

would suffice. "

--Albert Einstein