SOUTHERN TROPICAL FOREST IN DANGER

(IMNA: October 3, 2003)

A pro Rangoon outfit, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), has cut thousands of logs in southern Burma including in areas occupied by the local population.

A trader from northern Ye, Mon State said, “They even go and cut down trees in the villagers(tm) gardens. The villagers are afraid to ban them and the Burmese soldiers turn a blind eye.

“The DKBA enters the pristine forested area in the northeastern part of Ye Township and cuts thousands of tons of trees for logging business”, said a New Mon State Party official from Ye.

The Karen armed group who surrendered to the BA receives logging concessions from the regime(tm)s forestry department. It was reported the DKBA aggressively cuts the trees close to the New Mon State Party controlled area and even sometimes enters into the Party (tm)s area.

According to the source, thousands of tons of logs in Pa-an Township and Battalion No. 999 of the DKBA areas are being cut down; the “Pago Yoma” range in Pegu Division is also under the logging concessions.

Businessmen who have good contact with the DKBA normally transport logs and lumber to Mon and Karen State for construction and other purposes. The local source said soldiers from the BA also cut teak on the Zami riverbank in Kya-inn-seikyi Township of Karen State.

To promote their logging concession, the DKBA sells lumber to Buddhist monks at a low price to build monasteries in Mon and Karen States. The DKBA is exempt from paying an illegal tax to the BA along the way while ordinary traders have to pay when passing their checkpoints.

A small number of civilians also cut down trees in Yebyu Township in Tenasserim Division but must pay tax to several armed groups. These traders do not have concessions like the DKBA has with the regime.