Illegal logging in Arakan mountain halted due to ongoing fighting

Narinjara News, 19 October 2024

The illegal logging activities have decreased following the gun fighting in the area, which blocked the smuggling of timber from the Arakan mountain to Satthwa creek in Gwa township, said local residents.

A Gwa resident, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that illegal logging can no longer be conducted from Satthwa creek, prompting the loggers to shift their operation to Phat Ye village and Oakshitpin town under Pandaung township of  Bago region in the eastern part of the Arakan mountain.

“There are roads through the mountain where trees from the Arakan mountain are cut down and smuggled along Satthwa creek. Military officials and cronies were always behind them. Now, with the ongoing fighting, the timber trafficking from Satthwa is stopped,” added the resident.

After the fighting halted illegal logging, the loggers relocated to Phat Ye village, nearly eight  miles west of Kyangin town and the Oakshitpin urban area to continue the timber smuggling from the eastern Arakan mountain.

“The loggers stated that the roads used for smuggling timber through the mountain provided direct access to both the east and west sides. They plan to establish operations in Oakshitpin town to continue their illegal activities. The woodcutters and lumber equipment were already moved to Oakshitpin,” said another local

The timber smuggled from the Arakan mountain  is transported by the timber lorries along the roads constructed in the mountain and then smuggled through Satthwa creek to Teknaf port in Bangladesh and other locations including Yangon.

This timber smuggling has taken place on a large scale for years and it continued under the current military regime. As a result of this unchecked smuggling, the forests throughout the Arakan mountains have suffered rapid deforestation.

A 60-year-old resident of Thandwe stated that the Arakan mountain forests have been heavily deforested due to the timber smuggling by the military authorities and cronies of  the region. As a consequence, every year during the rainy season, the residents of Thandwe, Taungup and Gwa township face massive flooding.

Report by CJ