Thung Yai says no trace of alleged Chinese-backed mill
Thung Yai Naresuan West says patrols found no evidence of an alleged Chinese-backed timber-processing plant inside the sanctuary.
Officials at Thung Yai Naresuan West Wildlife Sanctuary say they have found no evidence to support a social-media claim that Chinese investors allegedly linked to illicit business activity had established a timber-processing factory inside the protected forest.
The allegation was circulated by a number of Facebook pages on Monday (August 17).
Supalerk Klanprasert, chief of Thung Yai Naresuan West Wildlife Sanctuary, said on Tuesday (August 18) that officials had immediately opened an investigation after the claim began attracting public attention.
Staff carried out intelligence gathering throughout the sanctuary’s area of responsibility but found no information or physical traces corresponding to the allegation.
“We found no information or evidence matching the claims circulated on social media,” Supalerk said.
He said officers had consistently conducted intensive SMART patrols covering the Thung Yai forest and had found no timber-processing factory or related forest encroachment and destruction of the kind described online.
The sanctuary also maintains strict controls and inspections covering people entering and leaving the protected area.
Acting under instructions from the director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, sanctuary staff have been working closely with security agencies and military units in the area to combine personnel for operations against forest-related offences.
“The public can be confident that the Thung Yai Naresuan forest is being strictly protected,” Supalerk said.
“We ask everyone to exercise judgement when receiving information and refrain from forwarding false messages, which could cause public alarm and damage the reputation of officers carrying out their duties.”
Anyone with information about suspected forest offences can contact the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation hotline on 1362, which operates 24 hours a day.
The sanctuary said every report submitted by the public would be examined urgently.
