Over 800 tonnes of illegal timber seized in Arakan State this year

By DMG 28 Dec 2022

MG Newsroom
28 December 2022, Sittwe

More than 844 tonnes of illegal timber were seized in Arakan State from January 1 to December 15 of 2022, according to data from the Arakan State Forest Department.

That broke down to over 514 tonnes seized in Thandwe District; more than 105 tonnes in Maungdaw District; over 184 tonnes in Sittwe District; and over 39 tonnes in Kyaukphyu District.

“Thandwe District accounted for more than half of the seizures,” said assistant director U Zaw Zaw Aung of the Forest Department. “Thandwe District has more routes than other districts that can be used to smuggle timber from other areas. Timber is mostly smuggled from Bago and Magwe. There are also logging sites and illegal logging in Arakan State.”

There have been 112 cases of illegal logging in Arakan State, according to the Arakan State Forest Department. Police have opened cases under the Forest Law in several of those.

Illegal logging is a major factor contributing to deforestation in Arakan State, say environmentalists who have called for effective action to combat illegal logging.

Ko Myo Lwin, an environmental advocate who has been growing trees in Ann Township, said: “The government should take effective action to prevent deforestation. It is not strictly enforcing the Forest Law. It is one of the reasons forests in the Rakhine Yoma mountain range have disappeared.”

Most of the illegal timber seized in Arakan State is teak, ironwood and other hardwoods, according to the Arakan State Forest Department.

According to surveys from 2015 to 2020, while forested areas have expanded in neighbouring countries, Myanmar saw a decrease from 42.92 percent to 42.19 percent.