Yahoo – AFP,
26 Aug 2015
 |
Thai
Department of National Parks (DNP) workers display pieces of ivory
during a
destruction ceremony in Bangkok on August 26, 2015 (AFP Photo/
Pornchai
Kittiwongsakul)
|
Bangkok
(AFP) - Thailand destroyed more than two tonnes of ivory Wednesday -- a victory
for animal rights groups fighting against the trade in a country renowned for
being a hub for illegal tusks.
The
ceremony, in which 2,155 kilograms of raw tusks and carved trinkets were fed
into an industrial rock crusher before being incinerated, was presided over by
the Thai junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha and is the first time the kingdom has
taken steps to destroy part of its stockpile.
"This
is to show the Thai government's strong determination to oppose ivory
trafficking and that Thailand will comply with international rules," he
said during the ceremony.
Animal
rights campaigners have long accused successive Thai civilian and military
administrations of turning a blind eye to the lucrative trade.
They have
pushed for Bangkok to destroy its stockpile to signal its determination to
stamp down on the trade and avoid the risk of seized ivory finding its way back
onto the black market through corrupt officials.
 |
Thailand's
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha (2nd R) looks at pieces of ivory
on display
during a destruction of confiscated ivory exercise at Thailand's
Department of
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Bangkok on
August 26, 2015
(AFP Photo/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)
|
Trade in
ivory was banned in 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). But that has not stopped
criminal gangs seeking to exploit a continued demand for tusks in Asia.
Ivory and
other body parts of elephants are prized for decoration, as talismans, and for
use in traditional medicine across parts of Asia with Thailand a key transit
point.
The
country's generals, who seized power in a coup last spring, have vowed to crack
down on the illegal ivory trade.
Earlier
this year, they ordered all Thais to register any ivory they owned, warning
that those who failed to do so would see their items confiscated.
They have
also made a series of high profile seizures including four tonnes of ivory
found hidden in containers in April that originated in the Democratic Republic
of Congo and was destined for Laos.
Thai police
seized more than three tonnes of ivory a week later in a second haul, this time
from Kenya that was again destined for Laos.
 |
Trade in
ivory was banned in 1989 - but that has not stopped criminal gangs
seeking to
exploit a continued demand for tusks in Asia (AFP Photo/
Pornchai
Kittiwongsakul)
|
The ivory
destroyed on Wednesday accounts for most of Thailand's stockpile where criminal
cases have been completed.
A further
540 kilograms has been donated to museums, government institution and
universities to be used for educational and awareness raising purposes.
Janpai
Ongsiriwittaya, from the World Wildlife Fund, said Thailand's junta had taken
significant steps to tackle the illegal trade and that the destruction of the
stockpile was "more than just a symbolic act".
"For
too long Thailand has been exploited by wildlife criminals as both a gateway
and marketplace for ivory poached in Africa and Asia," she added.
The
ceremony came as state media in Vietnam reported two significant seizures of
elephant tusks in the last few days, including two tonnes from Nigeria and
another yet to be weighed haul that came via Malaysia.
Related Article:
No comments:
Post a Comment