Guest guest Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Wildlife case 'outrageous' The Nation Pennapa Hongthong, Jim Pollard August 24, 2006 Conservationists have voiced concern about the conviction by Phetchaburi Court on Tuesday of a respected wildlife activist, who was fined Bt20,000 and given an eight-month suspended jail term for " illegal possession " of a handful of unregistered animals. Edwin Wiek, a Dutch national, who has spent the past five years setting up one of the country's top animal centres in Phetchaburi, was found guilty of illegal possession of about a dozen animals, mainly monkeys, after being formally charged by the Department of National Parks early last year. He is the first activist to receive such a sentence. Wildlife groups said it was an outrage that the department pursued charges against Wiek when little was being done against serious animal smugglers. Wiek claimed the charges were pushed by a senior official who has been upset by his efforts to force the government to return dozens of smuggled orang-utans found at Safari World tourist park in Bangkok three years ago back to Indonesia. Wiek admitted he did not have a licence from the department to hold the animals, some of which were protected. Most had been rescued from cruel living conditions or animal abuse - then left at his centre by another wildlife group. Some were given to him to care for by forestry officials. Wiek said his role was to help rescue animals poached from the jungle and to provide them with sanctuary in the hope they may be returned to the wild. He has more than 200 rescued animals at his centre but did not have papers for about a dozen when officials conducted a raid. Roger Lohanan, chairman of the Thai Animal Guardians' Association (TAGS), said Wiek's punishment would cause problems for wildlife protection. " No one will want to provide shelter to unwanted wildlife through fear that one day they might be arrested and charged with the same offence as Wiek, " he said. Roger said TAGS gave 11 macaques to Wiek, as previous owners left them with his group. He said he had contacted the wildlife department to collect the animals, but they had declined. Roger backed Wiek, saying the department had selectively enforced the law. While Wiek was convicted, Safari World had escaped court action despite 50 illegally imported orang-utans being discovered there. Rather than being charged with illegal possession of wildlife under the Wildlife Protection Act, Safari World's owner was only charged under the Customs Act for smuggling orang-utans. The animals were then seized - while the owner escaped punishment. Schawan Tunhikorn, deputy-director general of the Wildlife Department, said after the verdict: " I didn't abuse my power [as many might think], I just did my job in protecting wildlife. " http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/24/national/national_30011866.php ================================== Wildlife Friends of Thailand Blog Discuss Wildlife Conservation And Animal Welfare @ WFFT Helping animals is a crime, criminals go free! On August 22nd, 2006 Petchaburi court read out the verdict on the case against Edwin Wiek. Edwin was accused of illegal possesion of 19 animals that were rescued from several palces, some handed over by governement officials to the center for medical treatment. Instead of going after the traders of illegal wildlife, zoos that had over 70 orangutans smuggled in, or the owners of slaughterhouses of wildlife, the authorities went after Edwin, he received one of the highest penalties in years. Why does the Department of National Parks not go after the real criminals? Is the man in charge there corrupt or just blind? 2006-08-23 Comments: Your verdict does not come as a surprise, however it is deeply shocking. There is little hope that the endangered species in the region will not be made extinct, because of the ignorance and greed of local people. When the last tiger has been poached one wonders what they will turn their hands to next in order to enrich themselves materially - hopefully trading in the body parts of each other. I have forwarded your e-mail onto various people to increase awareness about the dire situation and in the hope that some might be encouraged to be more proactive in supporitng you. I would like to pay your Baht 20,000 fine. Please could you e-mail me your Bank Account Details so that I can make a cash deposit from Bangkok. Having seen the affectionate way in which the animals in your care respnod to you I have no doubt that they are conscious of the fact that you have rescued them from suffering. The ignorance of the Human Race and their " Blind Greed " is universal. Not only has it caused extinctions and continues to threaten thousands of endangered species, but it has been dire enough to treaten the existance of life itself through " Global Warming " . Shocking as the verdict is, you should not feel disillusioned, but rather strengthened in your determination to help the otherwise helpless wild creatures who have no defence in the face of human cruelty. Since the existance of man there have been countless instances where criminals triumph within the context of man made laws. However from a Cosmic perspective there is no escape from wrong doing. --Robert - SA 2006-08-23 I was fortunate enough to recently visit your Rescue Centre and witness directly, the wonderful work your organization is doing. It was truly inspiring. I was especially " taken " by the tiger and its tragic history. It is reassuring to know, that at the very least, it will now be allowed to live the rest of its life protected and well cared for. I read with disbelief the recent court ruling against you and of the hypocrisy of it all. I guess if there's a bright light to it all, it is that these people can no longer linger in the shadows as they so like to, but now stand fully exposed and accountable for there lack of principles and immorality . I'm sure this episode will serve as a catalyst for greater public awareness, closer scrutiny and with the help of caring people, the future prevention of such illicit behavior. I just wanted to personally express my support and best wishes to you and your organization for the great contributions to the protection of wildlife in Thailand. Thank you. --Craig TH 2006-08-23 I like to say I am amazed, but unfortunately I am not surprised at all with the incompetent decision made by the Thai legal system. It is all about money and corruption. How can a forward thinking government possibly find someone guilty for caring for wildlife when in all honesty the government cannot do it themselves. I have been fortunate enough to visit many rescue centres around the world and WFFT is up there with the best, fantastic enclosures, superb vetenary support and willing to care for all rescued and injured animals that are sent their way. How is possible that a government finds a man guilty of caring for it's own county's wildlife... it's future! I have forwarded the press release to media in the UK. When the animal loving people of the UK hear about the corruption in the Thailand government forestry department, maybe they will think twice about their next holiday until the problem is resolved. Ecotourism is booming so i guess people will decide to go elsewhere to see wildlife from now on! In other parts of the world you can still walk the forests and see free wildlife everywhere, unfortunately in Thailand the animals left in the wild are becoming extremely rare. I'd like to say it is incompetence but it is worse than that!!! It is corruption that has put Thailand into this dire situation. Animal traffickers are allowed free to continue their trade, illegally smuggled orangutans are still at safariworld, why? because their is a lot of money going to right people pockets to turn a blind eye. So why go after Edwin, in my eye's it is simple, because he is a threat to the ongoing pocket filling of certain people in the Thai government. Thailand must dispose these corrupt officials that are securing a future for themselves and at the same time condeming Thai native wildlife to extinction. I am glad that hundreds of animals, including rare species, are in WFFT's safe hands... maybe one day when the Thai government reverses its policy on protecting poachers and corruption whilst going after animal welfare groups we can one day re-populate Thailands beautiful forests with its native wildlife. --Jim 2006-08-23 http://wfft.org/blog/ ================================== [Poster's Note: The following is an article from early 2005..same old same old..] Forestry police chief vows to bail out wildlife activist The Nation Sucheera Pinijparakarn, Jim Pollard 3 February 2005 The head of the Forestry Police yesterday vowed to post bail for a Dutch wildlife activist who faces charges in the local provincial court this morning over his animal rescue centre in Phetchaburi. Maj-General Sawaek Pinsinchai said he opposed the legal action against Edwin Wiek, 39, who has been charged for possessing animals without documentation. Supporters say Wiek is being persecuted by the National Parks Department for pursuing the Safari World orang-utan scandal, which received worldwide publicity at the time of the Cites conference here last September. The Dutchman has led calls for the return of dozens of orang-utans smuggled from Indonesia to the privately run Bangkok park. More than a dozen animals were seized by park officials in July from Wiek’s centre in Phetchaburi, several hours south of the capital. Wiek, who heads the Wildlife Friends of Thailand group, said he received threatening calls to back off the orang-utan case and to stop “interfering” in the department’s business around the time his centre was raided. He has been acting as a representative for the Borneo Orang-utan Survival Foundation, which has called on the Thai government to return more than 50 orang-utans at Safari World, where the animals were being made to perform in boxing shows and pose in photos with tourists. Orang-utans are endangered under global monitoring body Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora), but can fetch up to Bt1 million on the black market. Preecha Ratanaporn, a National Parks official in Phetchaburi, confirmed that Wiek was set to face court, but denied his case was connected to the orang-utan affair. “He must follow our laws. He has many species of animals and he has no permit for them. That’s why he’s in trouble,” Preecha said. The case against Wiek is extraordinary, given the department’s lack of action against Safari World over what has been called the biggest smuggling case ever of endangered primates. The Forestry Police have sought to file charges against Safari World for illegal possession of orang-utans, but the department has yet to back any action. Wiek just intended to take care of the animals like many monks who keep wild animals such as tigers in their temple, Sawaek told The Nation. “The monks also have no documentation.” Legal action should only be taken against those raising wild animals for commercial purposes, he said. The action against Wiek was damaging the country’s image as the case has attracted huge attention from foreign media, he said, adding that he had told Wiek not to be discouraged. Sawaek said he had consulted his lawyer, who told him that he would have to prepare up to Bt100,000 as surety for Wiek’s temporary release. Indonesian officials have been so concerned about the Safari World case they flew to Bangkok late last year to seek assurances that the animals would be returned. This culminated in DNA tests on the apes, which confirmed in December that many of them had been smuggled and not bred in captivity, as originally claimed by park owner Pin Kiewkacha. 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Guest guest Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 This is simply unbelievable and yes, very very outrageous ! To the animal welfare community Edwin Wiek resembles someone who works with and for Thai wild animals in distress. But little do we know of this man`s selfless contributions to the animals of India as well. Last year on coming to know of a zoo exchange between the Thai Zoological Authorities and the Assam State Zoo here in India, as they had planned to exchange Orangutans from Thailand with the One horned Rhinocerous from India. I sought his views. He warned me that the Orangutans could be the ones which had been smuggled into Thailand, and that they may be trying to exchange them with animals from India. Then Edwin decided to go to the extent of bringing a nine member Thai-Tv crew to Assam in November 2005. He met up with the Forest Minister of Assam, the Zoo Divisional Forest Officer/ Incharge. Informed them of how they were misinformed of the smuggled amimals. Exchanged a few thoughts with the Zoo vets here as they were treating an injured Tiger at the Zoo. Everyone was simply impressed with his dedication to the field of animal welfare and the trouble that he took to come all the way from Thailand into Assam just to block the animal exchange from happening. The media too helped in getting this deal blacked out. Indeed I also got a mail from CITES and Shirly to confirm that the Thai authorities had never approached with regards to exchange of Orangutans with Indian animals. And incase an application comes up it shall not be allowed. I shall be ever so thankful to Edwin and the Thai crew who helped in preventing another illegal wildlife exchange from taking place. I am truly proud of Edwin since I fully believe that today`s animal welfare needs NETWORKING, that is why we are at AAPN, and that we must let the Thai Government know. The world needs more such daring people as Edwin. I shall be thankful to anyone who can provide me with the email addresses of the officials in Thai Government so that I can write out a letter condemning the actions of the Government. I feel we all must do this. Azam Siddiqui aapn , " Cate " <cateanna wrote: > > Wildlife case 'outrageous' > The Nation > Pennapa Hongthong, Jim Pollard > August 24, 2006 > > Conservationists have voiced concern about the conviction by Phetchaburi > Court on Tuesday of a respected wildlife activist, who was fined Bt20,000 > and given an eight-month suspended jail term for " illegal possession " of a > handful of unregistered animals. > > Edwin Wiek, a Dutch national, who has spent the past five years setting up > one of the country's top animal centres in Phetchaburi, was found guilty of > illegal possession of about a dozen animals, mainly monkeys, after being > formally charged by the Department of National Parks early last year. > > He is the first activist to receive such a sentence. Wildlife groups said it > was an outrage that the department pursued charges against Wiek when little > was being done against serious animal smugglers. > > Wiek claimed the charges were pushed by a senior official who has been upset > by his efforts to force the government to return dozens of smuggled > orang-utans found at Safari World tourist park in Bangkok three years ago > back to Indonesia. > > Wiek admitted he did not have a licence from the department to hold the > animals, some of which were protected. Most had been rescued from cruel > living conditions or animal abuse - then left at his centre by another > wildlife group. Some were given to him to care for by forestry officials. > > Wiek said his role was to help rescue animals poached from the jungle and to > provide them with sanctuary in the hope they may be returned to the wild. > > He has more than 200 rescued animals at his centre but did not have papers > for about a dozen when officials conducted a raid. > > Roger Lohanan, chairman of the Thai Animal Guardians' Association (TAGS), > said Wiek's punishment would cause problems for wildlife protection. " No one > will want to provide shelter to unwanted wildlife through fear that one day > they might be arrested and charged with the same offence as Wiek, " he said. > > Roger said TAGS gave 11 macaques to Wiek, as previous owners left them with > his group. He said he had contacted the wildlife department to collect the > animals, but they had declined. > > Roger backed Wiek, saying the department had selectively enforced the law. > While Wiek was convicted, Safari World had escaped court action despite 50 > illegally imported orang-utans being discovered there. Rather than being > charged with illegal possession of wildlife under the Wildlife Protection > Act, Safari World's owner was only charged under the Customs Act for > smuggling orang-utans. The animals were then seized - while the owner > escaped punishment. > > Schawan Tunhikorn, deputy-director general of the Wildlife Department, said > after the verdict: " I didn't abuse my power [as many might think], I just > did my job in protecting wildlife. " > > http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/24/national/national_30011866.php > ================================== > > Wildlife Friends of Thailand Blog > > Discuss Wildlife Conservation And Animal Welfare @ WFFT > > Helping animals is a crime, criminals go free! > > On August 22nd, 2006 Petchaburi court read out the verdict on the case > against Edwin Wiek. Edwin was accused of illegal possesion of 19 animals > that were rescued from several palces, some handed over by governement > officials to the center for medical treatment. Instead of going after the > traders of illegal wildlife, zoos that had over 70 orangutans smuggled in, > or the owners of slaughterhouses of wildlife, the authorities went after > Edwin, he received one of the highest penalties in years. Why does the > Department of National Parks not go after the real criminals? Is the man in > charge there corrupt or just blind? > 2006-08-23 > > Comments: > > Your verdict does not come as a surprise, however it is deeply shocking. > There is little hope that the endangered species in the region will not be > made extinct, because of the ignorance and greed of local people. When the > last tiger has been poached one wonders what they will turn their hands to > next in order to enrich themselves materially - hopefully trading in the > body parts of each other. > I have forwarded your e-mail onto various people to increase awareness about > the dire situation and in the hope that some might be encouraged to be more > proactive in supporitng you. > I would like to pay your Baht 20,000 fine. Please could you e-mail me your > Bank Account Details so that I can make a cash deposit from Bangkok. > Having seen the affectionate way in which the animals in your care respnod > to you I have no doubt that they are conscious of the fact that you have > rescued them from suffering. The ignorance of the Human Race and their > " Blind Greed " is universal. Not only has it caused extinctions and continues > to threaten thousands of endangered species, but it has been dire enough to > treaten the existance of life itself through " Global Warming " . > Shocking as the verdict is, you should not feel disillusioned, but rather > strengthened in your determination to help the otherwise helpless wild > creatures who have no defence in the face of human cruelty. > Since the existance of man there have been countless instances where > criminals triumph within the context of man made laws. However from a Cosmic > perspective there is no escape from wrong doing. > --Robert - SA > 2006-08-23 > > I was fortunate enough to recently visit your Rescue Centre and witness > directly, the wonderful work your organization is doing. It was truly > inspiring. I was especially " taken " by the tiger and its tragic history. It > is reassuring to know, that at the very least, it will now be allowed to > live the rest of its life protected and well cared for. > > I read with disbelief the recent court ruling against you and of the > hypocrisy of it all. I guess if there's a bright light to it all, it is that > these people can no longer linger in the shadows as they so like to, but now > stand fully exposed and accountable for there lack of principles and > immorality . I'm sure this episode will serve as a catalyst for greater > public awareness, closer scrutiny and with the help of caring people, the > future prevention of such illicit behavior. > > I just wanted to personally express my support and best wishes to you and > your organization for the great contributions to the protection of wildlife > in Thailand. > > Thank you. > > --Craig TH > 2006-08-23 > > I like to say I am amazed, but unfortunately I am not surprised at all with > the incompetent decision made by the Thai legal system. It is all about > money and corruption. How can a forward thinking government possibly find > someone guilty for caring for wildlife when in all honesty the government > cannot do it themselves. I have been fortunate enough to visit many rescue > centres around the world and WFFT is up there with the best, fantastic > enclosures, superb vetenary support and willing to care for all rescued and > injured animals that are sent their way. How is possible that a government > finds a man guilty of caring for it's own county's wildlife... it's future! > I have forwarded the press release to media in the UK. When the animal > loving people of the UK hear about the corruption in the Thailand government > forestry department, maybe they will think twice about their next holiday > until the problem is resolved. Ecotourism is booming so i guess people will > decide to go elsewhere to see wildlife from now on! > In other parts of the world you can still walk the forests and see free > wildlife everywhere, unfortunately in Thailand the animals left in the wild > are becoming extremely rare. I'd like to say it is incompetence but it is > worse than that!!! It is corruption that has put Thailand into this dire > situation. Animal traffickers are allowed free to continue their trade, > illegally smuggled orangutans are still at safariworld, why? because their > is a lot of money going to right people pockets to turn a blind eye. So why > go after Edwin, in my eye's it is simple, because he is a threat to the > ongoing pocket filling of certain people in the Thai government. > Thailand must dispose these corrupt officials that are securing a future for > themselves and at the same time condeming Thai native wildlife to > extinction. > I am glad that hundreds of animals, including rare species, are in WFFT's > safe hands... maybe one day when the Thai government reverses its policy on > protecting poachers and corruption whilst going after animal welfare groups > we can one day re-populate Thailands beautiful forests with its native > wildlife. > --Jim > 2006-08-23 > > http://wfft.org/blog/ > ================================== > [Poster's Note: The following is an article from early 2005..same old same > old..] > > Forestry police chief vows to bail out wildlife activist > The Nation > Sucheera Pinijparakarn, Jim Pollard > 3 February 2005 > > The head of the Forestry Police yesterday vowed to post bail for a Dutch > wildlife activist who faces charges in the local provincial court this > morning over his animal rescue centre in Phetchaburi. > Maj-General Sawaek Pinsinchai said he opposed the legal action against Edwin > Wiek, 39, who has been charged for possessing animals without documentation. > > Supporters say Wiek is being persecuted by the National Parks Department for > pursuing the Safari World orang-utan scandal, which received worldwide > publicity at the time of the Cites conference here last September. > > The Dutchman has led calls for the return of dozens of orang-utans smuggled > from Indonesia to the privately run Bangkok park. > > More than a dozen animals were seized by park officials in July from Wiek's > centre in Phetchaburi, several hours south of the capital. > > Wiek, who heads the Wildlife Friends of Thailand group, said he received > threatening calls to back off the orang-utan case and to stop " interfering " > in the department's business around the time his centre was raided. > > He has been acting as a representative for the Borneo Orang-utan Survival > Foundation, which has called on the Thai government to return more than 50 > orang-utans at Safari World, where the animals were being made to perform in > boxing shows and pose in photos with tourists. > > Orang-utans are endangered under global monitoring body Cites (Convention on > International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora), but can > fetch up to Bt1 million on the black market. > > Preecha Ratanaporn, a National Parks official in Phetchaburi, confirmed that > Wiek was set to face court, but denied his case was connected to the > orang-utan affair. > > " He must follow our laws. He has many species of animals and he has no > permit for them. That's why he's in trouble, " Preecha said. > > The case against Wiek is extraordinary, given the department's lack of > action against Safari World over what has been called the biggest smuggling > case ever of endangered primates. The Forestry Police have sought to file > charges against Safari World for illegal possession of orang-utans, but the > department has yet to back any action. > > Wiek just intended to take care of the animals like many monks who keep wild > animals such as tigers in their temple, Sawaek told The Nation. " The monks > also have no documentation. " > > Legal action should only be taken against those raising wild animals for > commercial purposes, he said. > > The action against Wiek was damaging the country's image as the case has > attracted huge attention from foreign media, he said, adding that he had > told Wiek not to be discouraged. > > Sawaek said he had consulted his lawyer, who told him that he would have to > prepare up to Bt100,000 as surety for Wiek's temporary release. > > Indonesian officials have been so concerned about the Safari World case they > flew to Bangkok late last year to seek assurances that the animals would be > returned. > > This culminated in DNA tests on the apes, which confirmed in December that > many of them had been smuggled and not bred in captivity, as originally > claimed by park owner Pin Kiewkacha. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Edwin Wiek has the support of all animal welfare people not only in Asia but around the world. In much of Asia and in many other parts of the world, money speaks and that is why no action is being taken against Safari World. Edwin Wiek is a soft target - primarily, he lacks the money power of Safari World. Azam Siddiqui finding this " very, very outrageous " is understandable. Saying it is " unbelievable " is surprising. In India, Veerappan was around for over 20 years during which time the Police departments of three States could not catch him but he was interviewed by newspapers! He killed over 2000 elephants only for their tusks and razed thousands of tonnes of sandalwood trees and sold them openly. Sansar Chand has been operating his business in wildlife skins and animal parts for years and was arrested only recently. " Unbelievable " ? ... but true. S. Chinny Krishna azam24x7 [azamsiddiqui] Thursday, September 14, 2006 8:37 PM aapn Re: (TH) Wildlife case 'outrageous' This is simply unbelievable and yes, very very outrageous ! To the animal welfare community Edwin Wiek resembles someone who works with and for Thai wild animals in distress. But little do we know of this man`s selfless contributions to the animals of India as well. Last year on coming to know of a zoo exchange between the Thai Zoological Authorities and the Assam State Zoo here in India, as they had planned to exchange Orangutans from Thailand with the One horned Rhinocerous from India. I sought his views. He warned me that the Orangutans could be the ones which had been smuggled into Thailand, and that they may be trying to exchange them with animals from India. Then Edwin decided to go to the extent of bringing a nine member Thai-Tv crew to Assam in November 2005. He met up with the Forest Minister of Assam, the Zoo Divisional Forest Officer/ Incharge. Informed them of how they were misinformed of the smuggled amimals. Exchanged a few thoughts with the Zoo vets here as they were treating an injured Tiger at the Zoo. Everyone was simply impressed with his dedication to the field of animal welfare and the trouble that he took to come all the way from Thailand into Assam just to block the animal exchange from happening. The media too helped in getting this deal blacked out. Indeed I also got a mail from CITES and Shirly to confirm that the Thai authorities had never approached with regards to exchange of Orangutans with Indian animals. And incase an application comes up it shall not be allowed. I shall be ever so thankful to Edwin and the Thai crew who helped in preventing another illegal wildlife exchange from taking place. I am truly proud of Edwin since I fully believe that today`s animal welfare needs NETWORKING, that is why we are at AAPN, and that we must let the Thai Government know. The world needs more such daring people as Edwin. I shall be thankful to anyone who can provide me with the email addresses of the officials in Thai Government so that I can write out a letter condemning the actions of the Government. I feel we all must do this. Azam Siddiqui aapn , " Cate " <cateanna wrote: > > Wildlife case 'outrageous' > The Nation > Pennapa Hongthong, Jim Pollard > August 24, 2006 > > Conservationists have voiced concern about the conviction by Phetchaburi > Court on Tuesday of a respected wildlife activist, who was fined Bt20,000 > and given an eight-month suspended jail term for " illegal possession " of a > handful of unregistered animals. > > Edwin Wiek, a Dutch national, who has spent the past five years setting up > one of the country's top animal centres in Phetchaburi, was found guilty of > illegal possession of about a dozen animals, mainly monkeys, after being > formally charged by the Department of National Parks early last year. > > He is the first activist to receive such a sentence. Wildlife groups said it > was an outrage that the department pursued charges against Wiek when little > was being done against serious animal smugglers. > > Wiek claimed the charges were pushed by a senior official who has been upset > by his efforts to force the government to return dozens of smuggled > orang-utans found at Safari World tourist park in Bangkok three years ago > back to Indonesia. > > Wiek admitted he did not have a licence from the department to hold the > animals, some of which were protected. Most had been rescued from cruel > living conditions or animal abuse - then left at his centre by another > wildlife group. Some were given to him to care for by forestry officials. > > Wiek said his role was to help rescue animals poached from the jungle and to > provide them with sanctuary in the hope they may be returned to the wild. > > He has more than 200 rescued animals at his centre but did not have papers > for about a dozen when officials conducted a raid. > > Roger Lohanan, chairman of the Thai Animal Guardians' Association (TAGS), > said Wiek's punishment would cause problems for wildlife protection. " No one > will want to provide shelter to unwanted wildlife through fear that one day > they might be arrested and charged with the same offence as Wiek, " he said. > > Roger said TAGS gave 11 macaques to Wiek, as previous owners left them with > his group. He said he had contacted the wildlife department to collect the > animals, but they had declined. > > Roger backed Wiek, saying the department had selectively enforced the law. > While Wiek was convicted, Safari World had escaped court action despite 50 > illegally imported orang-utans being discovered there. Rather than being > charged with illegal possession of wildlife under the Wildlife Protection > Act, Safari World's owner was only charged under the Customs Act for > smuggling orang-utans. The animals were then seized - while the owner > escaped punishment. > > Schawan Tunhikorn, deputy-director general of the Wildlife Department, said > after the verdict: " I didn't abuse my power [as many might think], I just > did my job in protecting wildlife. " > > http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/24/national/national_30011866.php > ================================== > > Wildlife Friends of Thailand Blog > > Discuss Wildlife Conservation And Animal Welfare @ WFFT > > Helping animals is a crime, criminals go free! > > On August 22nd, 2006 Petchaburi court read out the verdict on the case > against Edwin Wiek. Edwin was accused of illegal possesion of 19 animals > that were rescued from several palces, some handed over by governement > officials to the center for medical treatment. Instead of going after the > traders of illegal wildlife, zoos that had over 70 orangutans smuggled in, > or the owners of slaughterhouses of wildlife, the authorities went after > Edwin, he received one of the highest penalties in years. Why does the > Department of National Parks not go after the real criminals? Is the man in > charge there corrupt or just blind? > 2006-08-23 > > Comments: > > Your verdict does not come as a surprise, however it is deeply shocking. > There is little hope that the endangered species in the region will not be > made extinct, because of the ignorance and greed of local people. When the > last tiger has been poached one wonders what they will turn their hands to > next in order to enrich themselves materially - hopefully trading in the > body parts of each other. > I have forwarded your e-mail onto various people to increase awareness about > the dire situation and in the hope that some might be encouraged to be more > proactive in supporitng you. > I would like to pay your Baht 20,000 fine. Please could you e-mail me your > Bank Account Details so that I can make a cash deposit from Bangkok. > Having seen the affectionate way in which the animals in your care respnod > to you I have no doubt that they are conscious of the fact that you have > rescued them from suffering. The ignorance of the Human Race and their > " Blind Greed " is universal. Not only has it caused extinctions and continues > to threaten thousands of endangered species, but it has been dire enough to > treaten the existance of life itself through " Global Warming " . > Shocking as the verdict is, you should not feel disillusioned, but rather > strengthened in your determination to help the otherwise helpless wild > creatures who have no defence in the face of human cruelty. > Since the existance of man there have been countless instances where > criminals triumph within the context of man made laws. However from a Cosmic > perspective there is no escape from wrong doing. > --Robert - SA > 2006-08-23 > > I was fortunate enough to recently visit your Rescue Centre and witness > directly, the wonderful work your organization is doing. It was truly > inspiring. I was especially " taken " by the tiger and its tragic history. It > is reassuring to know, that at the very least, it will now be allowed to > live the rest of its life protected and well cared for. > > I read with disbelief the recent court ruling against you and of the > hypocrisy of it all. I guess if there's a bright light to it all, it is that > these people can no longer linger in the shadows as they so like to, but now > stand fully exposed and accountable for there lack of principles and > immorality . I'm sure this episode will serve as a catalyst for greater > public awareness, closer scrutiny and with the help of caring people, the > future prevention of such illicit behavior. > > I just wanted to personally express my support and best wishes to you and > your organization for the great contributions to the protection of wildlife > in Thailand. > > Thank you. > > --Craig TH > 2006-08-23 > > I like to say I am amazed, but unfortunately I am not surprised at all with > the incompetent decision made by the Thai legal system. It is all about > money and corruption. How can a forward thinking government possibly find > someone guilty for caring for wildlife when in all honesty the government > cannot do it themselves. I have been fortunate enough to visit many rescue > centres around the world and WFFT is up there with the best, fantastic > enclosures, superb vetenary support and willing to care for all rescued and > injured animals that are sent their way. How is possible that a government > finds a man guilty of caring for it's own county's wildlife... it's future! > I have forwarded the press release to media in the UK. When the animal > loving people of the UK hear about the corruption in the Thailand government > forestry department, maybe they will think twice about their next holiday > until the problem is resolved. Ecotourism is booming so i guess people will > decide to go elsewhere to see wildlife from now on! > In other parts of the world you can still walk the forests and see free > wildlife everywhere, unfortunately in Thailand the animals left in the wild > are becoming extremely rare. I'd like to say it is incompetence but it is > worse than that!!! It is corruption that has put Thailand into this dire > situation. Animal traffickers are allowed free to continue their trade, > illegally smuggled orangutans are still at safariworld, why? because their > is a lot of money going to right people pockets to turn a blind eye. So why > go after Edwin, in my eye's it is simple, because he is a threat to the > ongoing pocket filling of certain people in the Thai government. > Thailand must dispose these corrupt officials that are securing a future for > themselves and at the same time condeming Thai native wildlife to > extinction. > I am glad that hundreds of animals, including rare species, are in WFFT's > safe hands... maybe one day when the Thai government reverses its policy on > protecting poachers and corruption whilst going after animal welfare groups > we can one day re-populate Thailands beautiful forests with its native > wildlife. > --Jim > 2006-08-23 > > http://wfft.org/blog/ > ================================== > [Poster's Note: The following is an article from early 2005..same old same > old..] > > Forestry police chief vows to bail out wildlife activist > The Nation > Sucheera Pinijparakarn, Jim Pollard > 3 February 2005 > > The head of the Forestry Police yesterday vowed to post bail for a Dutch > wildlife activist who faces charges in the local provincial court this > morning over his animal rescue centre in Phetchaburi. > Maj-General Sawaek Pinsinchai said he opposed the legal action against Edwin > Wiek, 39, who has been charged for possessing animals without documentation. > > Supporters say Wiek is being persecuted by the National Parks Department for > pursuing the Safari World orang-utan scandal, which received worldwide > publicity at the time of the Cites conference here last September. > > The Dutchman has led calls for the return of dozens of orang-utans smuggled > from Indonesia to the privately run Bangkok park. > > More than a dozen animals were seized by park officials in July from Wiek's > centre in Phetchaburi, several hours south of the capital. > > Wiek, who heads the Wildlife Friends of Thailand group, said he received > threatening calls to back off the orang-utan case and to stop " interfering " > in the department's business around the time his centre was raided. > > He has been acting as a representative for the Borneo Orang-utan Survival > Foundation, which has called on the Thai government to return more than 50 > orang-utans at Safari World, where the animals were being made to perform in > boxing shows and pose in photos with tourists. > > Orang-utans are endangered under global monitoring body Cites (Convention on > International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora), but can > fetch up to Bt1 million on the black market. > > Preecha Ratanaporn, a National Parks official in Phetchaburi, confirmed that > Wiek was set to face court, but denied his case was connected to the > orang-utan affair. > > " He must follow our laws. He has many species of animals and he has no > permit for them. That's why he's in trouble, " Preecha said. > > The case against Wiek is extraordinary, given the department's lack of > action against Safari World over what has been called the biggest smuggling > case ever of endangered primates. The Forestry Police have sought to file > charges against Safari World for illegal possession of orang-utans, but the > department has yet to back any action. > > Wiek just intended to take care of the animals like many monks who keep wild > animals such as tigers in their temple, Sawaek told The Nation. " The monks > also have no documentation. " > > Legal action should only be taken against those raising wild animals for > commercial purposes, he said. > > The action against Wiek was damaging the country's image as the case has > attracted huge attention from foreign media, he said, adding that he had > told Wiek not to be discouraged. > > Sawaek said he had consulted his lawyer, who told him that he would have to > prepare up to Bt100,000 as surety for Wiek's temporary release. > > Indonesian officials have been so concerned about the Safari World case they > flew to Bangkok late last year to seek assurances that the animals would be > returned. > > This culminated in DNA tests on the apes, which confirmed in December that > many of them had been smuggled and not bred in captivity, as originally > claimed by park owner Pin Kiewkacha. > For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at: aapn Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at aapn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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