Greenpeace targets Malaysia in timber protest<\/p>\n
Agencies, Bangkok<\/p>\n
Activists handcuffed themselves to the gates of the Malaysian
\nembassy in Bangkok on Wednesday, demanding tighter controls on
\ntrade in a valuable tropical timber used in furniture, window
\nblinds and pool cues.<\/p>\n
About a dozen Greenpeace protesters, four of them wearing
\norange jump suits and chained to the gate, called on Malaysia to
\nback Indonesia's proposal at a wildlife conference in Bangkok to
\nlimit trade in wood from the Ramin tree.<\/p>\n
\"In order to protect this species and the forests it comes
\nfrom, we must act now. We cannot wait one minute longer,\" said
\nAlex Ryan, a campaigner for the environmental group.<\/p>\n
Ramin is a hardwood tree found in the lowland forests of
\nMalaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace said rampant illegal logging and smuggling of the
\ntimber through Malaysia was rapidly destroying the forests and
\nthe animals that live in them.<\/p>\n
\"The forests in Sumatra where Ramin is found are pegged to be
\ncompletely devastated by the year 2005,\" Ryan said.<\/p>\n
\"It's also the habitat for endangered orang-utan. It's also
\nwhere you can find the endangered Sumatran tiger\".<\/p>\n
Indonesia is expected to put forward a proposal to protect the
\nRamin tree on Thursday at the two-week meeting of the Convention
\non the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in
\nBangkok which ends on Oct. 14.<\/p>\n
If the plan is approved by the 166 member governments of
\nCITES, Ramin would be listed in the Appendix 2 category which
\nwould strictly control trade of the species.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government has indicated it would support
\nIndonesia's proposal if trade restrictions are not applied to
\nalready-made Ramin products and if they are not enforced for
\nanother year.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace opposes Malaysia's amendments, arguing they would
\nrender the proposal useless.<\/p>\n
In a related development, Greenpeace said on Wednesday that
\nSingapore remains a major hub for the global trade in illegal
\ntimber. It called on the city-state to set up a dedicated law
\nenforcement unit to crack down on the problem.<\/p>\n
The international environment group brought its flagship
\nRainbow Warrior vessel to Singapore to highlight what it said was
\nnew evidence of criminal smuggling of endangered hardwood from
\nIndonesia into Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite evident that if countries in the region do not
\nact now to stop the destruction of rain forests and illegal
\ntrade, we will soon have nothing to protect,\" Greenpeace forest
\ncampaigner Tim Birch said.<\/p>\n
\"Countries like Singapore and Malaysia hold the future of not
\nonly timber species, but of all plants, animals and communities
\nthat live in and depend on forests, in their hands.\"<\/p>\n
Greenpeace released documents to reporters showing photos of
\nboats laden with endangered ramin timber from the forests of Riau
\nprovince in Sumatra, Indonesia, that were bound for Singapore and
\nMalaysia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/greenpeace-targets-malaysia-in-timber-protest-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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