The other day when I was at the Mekong Export Festival here in Ubon Ratchathani Thailand I came across shops selling ivory. This isn’t the first time as ivory jewelry is common in shops across Thailand.
I thought the sale of ivory was illegal, I took the opportunity to speak to the shop owner and asked if it was elephant ivory, which it was. I then asked ‘Is it illegal to sell ivory?’ The owner then told me ‘No it isn’t illegal in Thailand.’
I continued to talk to her for a few minutes and found out a little more before heading off. When I got home and over the next few days I have been researching about this. Man I have been blind to what is going on here in Thailand.
First to Thai laws regarding elephants and ivory sales.
Since 1993, Thailand has been a signatory of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). The trade in elephant products is also banned under Thai law. But there is an important loophole.
Cites only prohibits the trade in wild animal products - not those taken from domesticated creatures. This allows unscrupulous traders to claim their ivory was procured from Thailand's small population of tamed, working elephants.
There are believed to be less than 2,000 domesticated elephants and it is still legal for owners of domesticated elephants to harvest ivory while the animal is alive or if it dies naturally.
Wild elephant ivory cannot be harvested, this is illegal but this is where the rampant illegal trade begins in ivory sales.
A member from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said, “It’s very hard to tell the difference between domestic and wild elephant ivory," "It's a big problem and the traders know how to exploit it. We must train the authorities how to distinguish the two kinds."
Another important finding is that most of the ivory on sale in Thailand is not from Asian elephants but from their African cousins. The majority of raw elephant tusks being smuggled out of Africa are bound for Thailand and China.
"There are regular seizures of imported ivory at Thai ports," says a WWF member. "But these represent only a fraction of what's getting through." Here is a link to a story from the 24th of March 2009 where a tonne of Ugandan ivory was impounded in Bangkok.
There are so many stories that point to Thailand being the number one destination for illegal African ivory, many officials that are supposedly bribed to turn a blind eye to what is going on.
What Thailand needs to do is simply change its loophole filled laws, banning all ivory sales of domesticated or wild elephant ivory. All traders have to do now is, claim their ivory is either older than 1993 from before Thailand signed the CITES agreement making it legal to be sold and also the falsifying of documents proclaiming the origins of the ivory on sale.
The illegal smuggling of live animals from Myanmar is getting worse from what I have read; they are brought across the border and then issued with falsified documents claiming they are domesticated Thai elephants.
So to the Thai government, simply pull your fingers out of your backsides and change the laws to protect these animals that have been hunted to near extinction in many places. So much for being a Buddhist nation, true Buddhists love all animals and don’t want to even hurt ants little only these amazing creatures. Be true to your religion and protect these creatures.
I am going to report on how young elephants are cruelly broken into submissive domesticated animals. I was shocked over the last few days finding stories and pictures showing the mistreatment of elephants. There are pictures of animals in clear distress and in some picture being hit with poles that have nails in them.
I am waiting for permission to use some of the pictures that I found.
What do you think about the trade of ivory?
Brunty
10 comments:
Good reporting, Brunty. :o)
I'm afraid... as long as there are buyers ivory trading at the expense of wild elephants will continue (just as the blood diamonds of Africa is still making their way into the USA and Europe... even though almost most people are aware of what that trade is funding. There was even a good Hollywood film about it a few years ago starring DiCaprio. And still...). :o(
They've got to lower the demand on these sorts of goods somehow. I heard that Switzerland had started a program that would even legalize narcotics in their country (in their effort to make the drugs appear less 'hip' and 'rare' to the younger folks and therefore not really worth the trouble... and to make sure that if they wanted to use drugs anyway they'll have it administered by doctors and won't die from it). I don't know if that'll work but it sure is an unconventional concept I'd keep an eye on to see the result of. :o)
Brunty, first let me say that I agree with you about the corruption,and lack of laws that protect the elephants, and all the other mistreated animals in Thailand and the whole world. .I personally have cried many tears of sorrow over mistreated animals .BUT "TIT" and we are expats here ,and have no vote or say so, as to how this country is run, not even on a local level. must less a country wide level , as you must know by now that the god of Thailand is not Budda ,but MONEY and they will do anything to get it(most). . I tried when I first got here to right some wrong I saw going on in our village all the time , and when ask some folks, even important folks in our community for support, the answer is always the same and will be the same for you. "NOT MY BUSINESS."Stories and pictures help to bring it to the attention of a lot of folks, and brings,many times tears to our eyes and a aching heart, but they will do nothing to change the world and the attitudes of the people really in charge, or those that eat them or use them for charms and trinkets and jewerly, sure they will set up committies and boards and start this program and that program and in the end , what good has it done. They are still killing kangroos in Austraila, bears in China, dogs and cats in Nam, Hell even some of your neighbors sell their dogs to the bucket man, baby seals in Canada, (I know they passed a law against it ) but the indains still do it and France and Paris are still putting fur on their coats and clothes , and offer elephant ivory, to almost any tourist from anywhere and legal or illegal they will buy it. And look at all the animals we keep in cages and bars WE CALL THEM ZOO'S and we take our kids to see them and take pictures of them and give them peanuts and a banana .So do I bury my head in the sand and pretend it'd not happening ,No , I show by my example and lifestyle to the folks around me right from wrong and try to teach my kids and grandkids and all those I can and will listen, to live their lives according to the teaching of their Buddish , Christian, Hindu , Muslim,teachings, whatever, all teach to not kill or mistreat the animals .We all do things different and whatever you do Brunty , I'm on your side . Malcolm
The trade of ivory is right there with the trade of diamonds and gold; expoitation of natural items for the benefit of rich people.
it would be best if thais and the rest of us stick to gold and precious stones. thais tend to love elephants but don't really act on it. trading in wild animals is so rotten. i do believe the locals should have the right to hunt and eat wild animals but not to sell them or their parts. all best. AI
Hi Jason,
Hey - are there any elephants left in the wild here in Thailand? I mean, outside of the national parks if you consider that "in the wild".
Maybe not. I couldn't imagine where they'd be.
I see a lot of ivory products sold anywhere I go in Thailand. It's rampant...
To me it seems unnecessary, even if you think it's beautiful, there are many other beautiful things to buy in this world that don't hurt animals.
Smorg, there will always be buyers of illegal goods that can make them a nice profit.
The movie Blood Diamonds did try and make aware how many of teh world's diamonds are sourced and the death and torture that accompanies them.
The legalizing of drugs is a hell of a debate. Do you legalize what they call recreational drugs only or all drugs such as herion and ectasy and so on.
Hi Malcom, the big problem is corruption with auhtorities failing to adhere to laws and just concerned about their bank balances.
Animals are amazing creatures and as a young man I hunted animals and killed many under the pretence it was sport. I never killed endangered or protected species.
Now I am older I do wish I could go back and change some things but cannot. I have fish now that get treated very well and also an amazing rabbit that is a family member and not an animal.
Thais do worship money as it is meant to bring them importance and with importance brings the stupid thing they call "face".
I just hope that elephants don't end up extinct which really could happen with the way things are going.
Franky, the rich continue funding the death of many poor people by buying such products as diamonds.
AI, Thais are meant to love elephants and they are meant to be the pride of the nation but the way they allow these animals to be slaughtered for there ivory goes against this.
As for locals hunting wild animlas I agree that natives of an area should be allowed to do this but restrictions on endangered and protected species has to looked at.
Vern, the guess for wild elephants, that being in National parks and such is 2,000 to 3,000 but this is only a guess.
The amount of attacks here in Thailand have been increasing because of habitat loss and also the drought and the scarcity of food. Elephants have been raiding farms regularly of late and tension is rife in some areas.
This is a good read with news stories about wild elephants in Thailand http://elephantsthailand.blogspot.com/
On Feb 26th this year two monks were trampled in a forest after they stumbled upon some, one died.
Kradyville, there are many things to buy other than things where animals were killed to be obtained.
I really don't see the beauty in the ivory jewelry as all I see is the cruel deaths of the animal.
Thanks for commenting guys
Twenty years ago, someone gave me a gift of an ivory necklace. I take it out ever so often to remind myself that an animal died in agony to give me that necklace. Its so sad. I think some animals live a sad life in thailand. My thai friend told me that when dogs get too old, they dont put the dogs to sleep (bad karma). They just let the dogs go off or give them to pp whom they know will EAT these dogs. (no bad karma for them in this case). I never did understand this. Its like pointing out to a paedophile the house where a helpless kid lives. No bad karma for you since you didnt do the act, but hey you know the outcome.
Sha
i like ivory so much .If you have ivory please let me know and send
a picture to my e-mail
banjong_waenwong@hotmail.com
thank you
jong
I was shocked today when my woman friend in Ubon showed me two rings of ivory which she just purchased to demonstrate her love.
I don't know What to do! Or
how to say!
This may have been the trigger to End our 'relationship'.
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