DKBA involves in illegal logging but SPDC keeps silence

Independent Mon News Agency

May 23, 2003

A town resident from a border Three Pagoda Pass town, said although DKBA awfully involves in illegal logging of teaks in the Three Pagoda Pass area, but the local SPDC forestry authorities have kept silence.

Lt. Col. Lay Win from DKBA battalion No. 906 and a Buddhist religious leader, San Pyu Ya Thae, cooperated and cut teaks in the Three Pagoda Pass and sold to traders. They cut all teaks with 2 feet in round of the trees and 7 feet in height and sold them 18000 Baht (in Thai current, because the town residents in Three Pagoda Pass use only Thai Baht) per ton.

Accordingly to a town resident, “DKBA soldiers do not afraid anyone in Three Pagoda Pass town, they could sell (teaks) independently”.

A trader, who would not like to identify himself, said that DKBA sold about 17 tons of teaks in April.

The trader added if the local traders would like to sell them in Thailand, they must make a type of furniture and then they could sell them in the Thai market. Although the religious leader, San Pyu Ya Thae, shows the reason to disseminate Buddhist belief in the area and build the pagodas, but in reality, he has awfully involved in illegal logging by cooperating with DKBA.

DKBA does not ask any permission from the military government, SPDC, and township forestry department to cut teaks. Teak is a restricted type of tree in the forestry department’s regulations and anyone who cut teaks without permission is illegal. Although the SPDC authorities found the illegal activities of DKBA, but no one dared to inform about them to the higher authorities, as the DKBA accepts a high favour from Burma’s intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt.