Int'l conference to protect Siamese rosewood held in Thailand

BANGKOK, April 4 (TNA) - Thailand hosts an international conference on the protection of popular and expensive Siamese rosewood. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, organised the second international meeting on the protection of Siamese rosewood in Bangkok on April 4. International participants, including those from Cambodia, China and Vietnam, discussed legal amendment, law enforcement, international cooperation and campaigns for conservation awareness to reduce demands for Siamese rosewood. Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Karnjanarat told the meeting that illegal Siamese rosewood logging has declined, but has not yet been stopped in Thailand despite serious protection efforts because the wood has high value and there have been huge demands from other countries. The minister said that officials of his ministry's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the Royal Forest Department will be equipped with shortguns to better protect Siamese rosewood. The minister noted that serious efforts to protect Siamese rosewood should help maintain the world heritage status of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai forest complex, where there is Siamese rosewood. (TNA)