4 a
4 b
4 c
![Text Box: SPDC-controlled Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) loaned about four million kyat to each of the Karen entrepeneurs through U Bah Than, the MTE-manager in Pa-An township. Condition of the loan was the exclusive sale of the timber to MTE. Timber was collected at two central stockpiles, Dun Yay Seik and Tor Prah.
KNU district officials saw a chance to let the logging be of benefit to the KNU struggle. One senior KNU district reasoned: "The SPDC has a military force and they have occupied many of our controlled areas, one after another. So even if we didn't deal with the logs extraction group the SPDC will do the logging anyway and there is no benefit for the KNU." The logs extraction group agreed to pay the KNU 5,000 Kyat taxes per each ton of timber. Then they could execute their operations without hindrance. Local villagers report that the KNU allowed logging in an area outside the reserve forests of ca. 31.25 square miles.
Forest management and access to forests
Granting logging permissions either inside or outside of reserved forests by the KNU is a controversial issue, and has led to conflict between the KNU and villagers in Bilin Township. The areas outside the reserve forests are supposed to be for public use. The reserve forests and especially teak and other hardwood trees, officially under the management of the SPDC forestry department, are under control of the KNU and are protected by forestry laws. The KNU have forestry laws that prohibit the cutting of trees in the reserve forest, on penalty of seven years jail or death for second offenders. The laws allow villagers to collect wood for household necessities outside the reserve forests. Burning forests violates KNU forestry laws and the violator must pay a fine. The villagers in Bilin Township area said: "We have no trees for building our house because of the logging, while the KNU does not allow us to cut one tree. But they allow the log extraction group to do logging." The local communities are not satisfied with the KNU, claiming that it is not fair that they do not even have the right to use timber for their domestic needs.
As a result, some villagers started illegal logging while there were still trees in the reserve forests. A few of them were arrested and taken for interrogation. The villagers reported that the lower ranking officials of KNU were intoxicated by alcohol-use and they treated the suspects badly. Many villagers felt very unsatisfied with this. This state of affairs was reported to a well-respected KNLA officer, lieutenant colonel Htu Gaw, commander of 1st KNU brigade in Doo The Htoo district. He called for a meeting of all district officials, including the KNU forestry department, and told them: "If you don't give my children [the villagers] the chance to collect wood to build their houses, we can not resolve the conflict and will be distrusted by our own people." Finally the other KNU officials agreed to let local villagers to collect a certain amount of wood for building material in March 2002. As soon as access rights were conceded to local communities, illegal logging by outsiders also started to occur. Because of this, the KNU withdrew its permission after one year. The KNU district leaders said they would call another meeting and if necessary, issue another permission period. So far, the conflict between the KNU and the local communities is still unsettled. Thus the attempts of local](image069.gif)
