BKK POST: Chuan gets tough on lo

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

February 18, 1998


                                     



                            SALWEEN SCANDAL

              Chuan gets tough
              on log racket 

              Destruction must stop, says premier 

              Yuwadee Tunyasiri, Chakrit Ridmontri and Anucha
              Charoenpo

              The prime minister has ordered a thorough investigation into
              logging in the Salween area and has made clear he will not
              accept excuses.

              Chuan Leekpai, who inspected the park and studied aerial
              photographs of the devastation, said those responsible, men in
              uniform included, would be brought to book.

              He was particularly critical of the appointment to an anti-logging
              unit of a senior forestry official who tried to donate a bribe from
              loggers to the Thai-help-Thai fund.

              The scandal came to light after Prawat Thanadkha, deputy
              director of the Forestry Department, came up with the
              five-million-baht bribe.

              It was beyond belief, said Mr Chuan, that the agriculture ministry
              had appointed Mr Prawat, who has yet to clear himself over the
              kickback, to the anti-logging unit.

              Mr Chuan said Salween was one of many encroachment spots
              nationwide. Action had to be taken even though the state lacked
              the personnel and equipment to police the forests.

              Imports of Burmese logs had been allowed in 1996 to reduce
              the market for illegal timber, he said, but the initiative failed
              because Thai timber was given Burmese documentation.

              Denouncing as excuses officials' claims they were powerless to
              suppress loggers because of their influence, Mr Chuan said
              tighter inspections at checkpoints had brought illegal log
              movements to a standstill. Loggers have exercised greater
              caution now the authorities are on full alert.

              An investigation into Mr Prawat ordered by Pongpol
              Adireksarn, the agriculture minister, has also been called into
              question.

              Pitipong Peungboon na Ayuthaya, deputy permanent secretary,
              who is to chair the panel, said the brief was to consider if Mr
              Prawat had violated ministerial rules by seeking to hand the
              money directly to the premier without informing his immediate
              boss.

              "How can we find out where the money came from when we are
              not authorised to ask suspects to testify?" he said. "In this case,
              I'm sure that there is no rule prohibiting ministry officials from
              passing messages to the premier without informing their boss."

              At least six forestry officials have been transferred from the park
              to inactive posts in Bangkok but no senior officers have been
              affected.

              Thavorn Lamseejan, director of the Natural Resource
              Conservation Office, said the number was too small. "I'm
              wondering why the Mae Hong Son forestry chief is not among
              them," he said. "As the boss of these officials, why did he allow
              his subordinates to collude in logging?"

              Mr Thavorn said it was common for owners of sawmills to bribe
              forestry officials to ease the movement of illegal logs. The five
              million baht given to Mr Prawat was connected with a
              confiscated haul of 13,000 logs from Salween, he said.

              The miller wanted Mr Prawat to allow the logs to be hauled from
              the gathering point in the jungle. If the job was not done before
              the rainy season, he said, it would have to be done next year.

              Various state agencies, such as the interior and agriculture
              ministries and the army, have overlapping responsibilities in
              running the park.

              Police have said Mr Prawat has not cooperated with their
              investigations and might be the subject of an arrest warrant
              unless he turns himself in.

              They said the Bank of Thailand has found that large cash
              withdrawals which might be linked to the bribe had been made
              and were deposited at a bank in Tak.

              Pol Lt-Gen Seri Temiyavej, commissioner of the Central
              Investigation Bureau, said the money Mr Prawat had tried to
              donate through Mr Chuan was linked to the Salween scandal.

              Mr Prawat had been questioned about the source of the money
              but has refused to identify the owner. Pol Lt-Gen Seri said he
              was sure he could shed light on the source of the money and on
              details of the principle figures in the destruction within two
              weeks.

              The transfers of the forestry officials, proposed by Sa-nga
              Eua-trakul, Mae Hong Son's provincial forestry chief, have been
              endorsed by the Agriculture Ministry and are to take effect next
              week.

              Among them are Direk You-sabai and his subordinates Prayoon
              Pholnak and Uthai Chaisiri of Mae Sariang, Prawuth
              Tanthanapala of Pai, Montri Dechboriboon of Tak and Sitthichai
              Somchit of Mae Ramat.




                                     




© The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 1998
Contact the Bangkok Post
Web Comments: Webmaster 

Last Modified: Wed, Feb 18, 1998