Thailand praised for leading role against wildlife trade

BANGKOK, September 13 (TNA) - Thailand hosts an international conference on countering the wildlife trade, the 4th of its kind, during which the Kingdom has been praised for being a regional leader against the illegal trade of endangered fauna and flora. Scott Perkin, Representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Asia, echoed that Wednesday's conference in Bangkok saw more participating countries, including China, and international organizations, from only four member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the previous gatherings, and the expanded agenda to cover cooperation against the illegal trade of more endangered wild animals and flora, including Bengal tiger, pangolin, elephant tusks and rhino snouts, from only against the illegal trade of Siamese rosewood. Perkin noted that Wednesday's discussions should lead to additionally joint preventive measures and solutions against illegal trade of the wildlife in the region in a more effective and efficient aspect. The IUCN representative also praised Thailand as a regional leader to fight against the illegal crime steadily and to invite neighboring ASEAN member countries to join forces in countering the illegal trade against fauna and flora, citing cooperation between Myanmar and Thailand, Cambodia and Thailand and the development of an online program against the trade of wildlife as good examples. Besides, the IUCN representative lauded Thailand's move to welcome local communities to participate in the concrete solution to the illegal trade of wildlife on the sustainable basis. Cynthia Gill, Special Representative of USAID, also expressed her appreciation to Thailand's sturdy role as an ASEAN center against the illegal trade of the endangered fauna and flora. The USAID special representative stressed that the United States has paid attention to the issue and amended laws to protect the wildlife and crack down violators against the transnational crime more efficiently, along with applying more modern technologies to the solution to the illegal trade and launching the "Wildaid" public campaign against the illegal wildlife trade, in which many celebrities take part. Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Kanjanarat acknowledged, meanwhile, that Thailand's strong intention to end the illegal trade against fauna and flora has been witnessed and lauded by the international community, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), promising that the Thai government will carry on protecting more species of the wildlife through cooperation with the governments of allied nations and amended laws and regulations for tougher legal actions against violators. (TNA)