Illegal logging increases in Paletwa township

04 July 2016 — Communities raise concerns over a sharp rise in the continued activity of cutting down trees for hardwoods by illegal traders in Paletwa Township, Chin State.

The youth group says that there has been a surge in the illegal logging in Pyi-chaung area since May this year, and that traders do not possess an official licence but the authorities have not taken action.

Ai Min (name changed for security reasons), a local youth leader, said in the Khumi Media Group: “They use chainsaws to chop these trees. Our forest will be depleted soon. People get worried about the land and negative impacts in our environment.”

The KMG reported that traders had bribed the Be-dong Village Tract administrator with 70,000 kyats and a government employee in charge of the Be-dong Village Tract forest with 30,000 kyats to carry out the business, according to eye-witnesses.

“We informed responsible government departments of the activity but they have not done anything to stop it. We get really concerned about our forest. This is the reason why we want this to be published on media so that necessary action can be taken,” one of the local eye-witness told the KMG.

The hardwoods are transported toward Arakan State by boat.#