Timber smuggling thrives in Kachin

 

From April 1, 2014, until the end of this May, 10,569 tonnes of timber have been seized, said Thein Myint, director of the Kachin State Forestry Department.

“Timber smuggling reached its highest level in 2015. Illegal timber is being exported along eight tracks,” he said.

Most was confiscated by the Myanmar Armed Forces.

A number of 155 Chinese smugglers and 181 Myanmar nationals were arrested. 

The confiscated timber was given to the Forestry Department for safe-keeping. 

A Forestry Department official said: “We receive [confiscated timber] every day, mostly from the army. We can only accept the timber if we are in safe territory.If not, we have to ask the army to wait. Smuggling is thriving because people in China are paying good money for timber. There isn’t a lot of precious wood in Kachin; precious timber is mostly confiscated in Sagaing Region and northern Shan state, and it is smuggled in all sorts of ways. We will soon have to hold a discussion with China about this issue.”

Timber smuggling has been on the rise since peace in Kachin State was disrupted in 2011, when much of the staff of the Forestry Department was transferred to safer cities.

 

Corruption

Locals and people engaged in the business and officials attributed corruption, drugs and human trafficking in the state to massive timber smuggling. 

According to local people, low-ranking as well as senior officials of the local government are involved in decades-long illegal timber trade to China through corruption.

“As I know, almost every [government] department in Momauk takes bribes. Some smugglers even make daily lists of the amount of bribe given. The departmental officers themselves inform the smugglers in advance if there is a crackdown against smuggling. In some places, the perpetrators have allegedly bribed some members of the Parliament. Although the government says the route is unsafe, there are army checkpoints all along the way,” said a worker from Bhamo.

The timbers from Shweku-Amatgyikone in Kachin Independence Army’s (KIA) area and the Thentaung-Kuli-Mophein-Malula road are piled up and ready to be smuggled into China near the Alingaun Ward, in Momauk, using the Momauk-Seinlon-Lweje road at night.

The bribes that have to be given to police and local officials depend on the size of the truck, for example, the 12-wheelers cost over Ks20 million (US$20,000).

“There are [inspection] checkpoints two miles away from Momauk, Seinlon and Lawyone. It’s hard to tackle timber smuggling since the local officials themselves are involved in this business. Tamalan wood is more in demand this year than teak. This type of trees has been almost wiped out in the upper Myanmar.”

A minister of the Kachin State government said: “We’ve heard even some parliamentarians are corrupted by this business. Yet we have no solid evidence. The government troops have occasionally launched crackdown on illegal trades. There is still no special operation to tackle this. The instability in the region is to blame for the smuggling.”

Most of the smuggled logs come from the upper Sagaing Region and northern Shan State. According to the information, the wood smuggling is still flourishing in Kachin State. 

“We don’t know the extent of KIA’s involvement in the business. But fighting erupts [between the government and KIA troops] every time there is crackdown on wood smugglers. As money is nothing in such places, the drug problem follows,” said the minister who requested anonymity. 

Since the year 2000, hundreds of Chinese smugglers have entered Myanmar each year to get married with local women from the villages near the smuggling routes. Some local women fell victims to forced marriage but were too ashamed to report to police.

“What makes it worse is that wages are paid in drugs. Workers and drivers in the business are drug addicts, more or less. It’s really a big problem here,” said a village elder from Bhamo.

Police Captain Win Myint from Bhamo District said: “We’ve heard local women became the brides of Chinese men. Yet there is no case reported to us.”

The 200-strong gang of Chinese wood smugglers called BDY entered the border area in vicinity of Mansi, Shweku, Momeik and Mabein townships in February and started their smuggling operations on March 3, according to local people.

 

Meeting with China

A discussion on forest resources trade between Myanmar and China was held in Myitkyina Township on June 2.

The discussion was attended by the Kachin State Government Committee, Forest Department, Immigration Department and Myanmar Police Force, as well as China’s State Forestry Administration, the Global Environmental Institute and several Chinese forestry companies. 

A forest official said the Chinese government was asked again to control timber smuggling from Myanmar. 

“This is very important for sustainable development of the socio-economic lives of residents. We would like to urge attendees to support a ban in timber smuggling, and then we will submit data to the Chinese government and Forestry Department,” said the official.

The Forest Department in Kachin State initially titled the event ‘Ban the Smuggling of Forest Products.’ It was changed to “legal trade”.