By Phan Anh  March 14, 2019 | 07:11 pm GMT+7 A tiger in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of WWF Malaysia Two Vietnamese men have been jailed for 19 years and six years in Malaysia for possessing body parts of threatened wildlife species. Animal conservation website TRAFFIC reported Wednesday that Tran Van Sang, was sentenced to 19 years by the Kuala Kangsar Sessions Court on 10 charges under the Wildlife Conservation Act. He had been arrested in August 2017 in Sungai Siput town for possessing 273 body parts from tigers, leopards, cloud leopards, sun bears and sambar deer. All except sambar are classified as Totally Protected Species under Malaysian law. Ho Van Kien, 40, besides a jail sentence, also received a fine of $100,000 on six charges of illegally possessing tiger, leopard and sun bear parts. He has been arrested last July in an industrial area in Kuala Lupis, Pahang State, along with five other Vietnamese. But the five have been granted discharge not amounting … [Read more...] about Malaysia jails two Vietnamese, one for 19 years, for possessing wildlife parts
Wildlife protection act
Removal of Thailand from CITES Ivory Watch List
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with the decision made recently by the standing committee, saying that it was a great success for the country. In the past several years, Thailand had been branded as one of the world’s major markets for illegal ivory products, most of which came from wild elephants killed in Africa and smuggled into the country. The Thai government in 2014 implemented an action plan to end ivory trade in the country. It also amended two laws – the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2557 (2014) and the Elephant Tusks Act, B.E. 2558 (2015). The amendments tightened regulations and procedures for ivory product possession, ivory registration, and DNA testing process. The Prime Minister instructed relevant agencies to continue their efforts to suppress illegal ivory trade. The removal of Thailand from the CITES watch list has saved the country from the risk of trade sanction, which could have affected trade activities in over … [Read more...] about Removal of Thailand from CITES Ivory Watch List
Vietnam to boost forest coverage in Central Highlands
A corner of forest in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam (Photo: VNA) Da Nang (VNS/VNA) - The Government of Vietnam has been implementing drastic measures to increase forest coverage in the Central Highlands region, while improving output of coffee and high value crops in easing deforestation. Tran Dai Nghia, an official from the environmental economics studies and policy institute, under the ministry of agriculture and rural development, made the comments at the Good Growth Partnership-side event at the 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly held in Da Nang. Nghia said the government has asked local administrations, ministries and relevant agencies to rearrange current coffee plantations to stop encroachment on forest areas. “The government firmly reallocated forest area that had been cleared for coffee plantations, and restored the forest area. It has planned to replant 120,000ha of coffee between 2014-20,” Nghia said. “Vietnam wants to improve the … [Read more...] about Vietnam to boost forest coverage in Central Highlands
Việt Nam to boost ‘green’ and sustainable growth
Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG — The Government of Việt Nam has been implementing drastic measures to increase forest coverage in the Central Highlands region, while improving output of coffee and high value crops in easing deforestation. Trần Đại Nghĩa, an official from the environmental economics studies and policy institute, under the ministry of agriculture and rural development, made the comments at the Good Growth Partnership-side event at the 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly held in Đà Nẵng yesterday. Nghĩa said the government has asked local administrations, ministries and relevant agencies to rearrange current coffee plantations to stop encroachment on forest areas. “The government firmly reallocated forest area that had been cleared for coffee plantations, and restored the forest area. It has planned to replant 120,000ha of coffee between 2014-20,” Nghĩa said. “Việt … [Read more...] about Việt Nam to boost ‘green’ and sustainable growth
Respect the lives of animals
Viet Nam News Bảo Hoa I have not been to an animal circus performance for a long time, twenty years, perhaps, since I was about four or five years old. Though I have no clear memories of watching the animals performing tricks, I remember the unpleasant smell of an elephant when it came near me. I was sitting somewhere in the front row, and I remember none of the animals looked comfortable while doing the show – they looked blank, like their minds were on auto-pilot, and they did not even know what they were doing. I guess that blank look tugged at my young heart, and that’s why I have never been a fan of the animal circus. Using animals in circus performances has been the centre of an ongoing debate – not only in Việt Nam but also around the world – for at least 20 years. The incident of Tyke - the elephant in Honolulu in August 1994 has become symbolic of circus tragedies, whose images can still shake to the core anyone who sees them today. … [Read more...] about Respect the lives of animals