Thailand, US jointly tackle illegal wildlife trade

BANGOK, September 8 (TNA) - US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield visited Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Bangkok on Monday to discuss the suppression of illegal wildlife trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Accompanied by US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney, Brownfield, who supervises narcotic suppression and international law enforcement, met Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who oversees the suppression of illegal wildlife and plant trade. Theerapat told journalists that both sides agreed that Washington and Bangkok will try to push for law enforcement to protect wildlife and to suppress illegal wildlife trade both in Thailand and other ASEAN member countries, after Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra earlier discussed the matter with US President Barack Obama. According to the senior official, Thailand, as the chair of ASEAN's network on the enforcement of laws governing wildlife and wild plants, will also play important roles in encouraging cooperation among ASEAN member states. The senior official acknowledged that Thailand focuses on illegal trade of elephant and rhinoceros tusks and the Kingdom is determined to prove that it is seriously tackling the illegal trade of wildlife. Brownfield noted that Thailand is an ASEAN center and major transit point of all products and illegal wildlife traders have, thus, used Thailand as a base for their exports. Brownfield said Washington believes Thailand has potential to suppress the illicit business, regarding its standard workforces and wildlife sanctuaries, compared with resources of other countries in Asia, and could be a model for other countries. The US top envoy, meanwhile, expressed her concerns over the living conditions of local elephants, suggesting that they be protected from illegal elephant and ivory tusk traders, and that the protection requires hard and continual work and the United States is ready to support Thailand. (TNA)