Ethnic Kachin environmentalists and Baptist youths separately marked the United Nations' World Environment Day with public awareness programmes on the theme "Your Planet Needs You-Unite to Combat Climate Change" today in military ruled Burma, said organizers.
Under the Youth Department of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), youths in churches in Myitkyina and Waingmaw towns in the country's northern Kachin State planted hundreds of saplings this morning and also received a special presentation on environmental awareness and protection of the environment in the afternoon, said KBC youth leaders.
A Kachin woman planted sapling in a village near Sino-Burma border in Kachin State, Northern Burma.
A Kachin woman planted sapling in a village near Sino-Burma border in Kachin State, Northern Burma.
KBC leader N'hkum Tang Gun said, the KBC Youth Department has also announced 15 sub-conventions under the KBC in the country to mark the anniversary day by planting saplings in their areas and receiving presentations.
The border-based Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) organized local Kachin people at three different liberated areas on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State and conducted an hour long anniversary day ceremony before noon and concluded it by planting 200 saplings in the afternoon, said Mr. Awng Wa, environmentalist and chairman of KDNG.
This morning, KDNG also planted hundreds of saplings in Myitkyina but it was not a public affair because of security reasons, according to KNDG organizers.
Awng Wa said, the ceremonies were held in keeping with Christian tradition where the participants were entertained by the singer from "Blast Band" and its famous environmental Kachin song titled "Aka Law!" (You can listen to the song and English transcription below).
Other Kachin environmentalists also marked the anniversary with public awareness programmes in KIO controlled and regime controlled areas in Kachin State and Northeast Shan State, said local sources.
Under the Burmese regime, there has been rampant logging, gold mining in the rivers and on land and jade mining activities in Kachin State for over a decade, said local environmentalists.
Earlier, before 1994, heavy gold mining, jade mining and logging were mostly prevented in the State because of the civil war between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Burmese regime, said local people.
On the other hand, the regime and China have agreed to construct nine dams for hydropower projects in the State --- two in Irrawaddy River, also called Mali Hka in Kachin language, five in N'Mai River and two in Dapein (Taping) River, respectively.
At the moment, the two governments are jointly implementing the Myitsone dam, Chipwi dam and Dapein No. 1 and No. 2 dams. However the electricity generated is proposed to be sold to China.
Timber for export
As of last year, the Burmese junta has gone in for rampant felling of teak and hardwood from the forests on the border between the Kachin State and Sagaing Division as well as forests in Kachin State. It is directly transported to Rangoon port for export, said local environmental watchdogs.
According to them, teak and hardwood from the forests are transported to Kathar port in Irrawaddy River and it is then ferried by ships to Rangoon port day and night.
Each ship can carry between 300 tons and 500 tons and it is loaded in containers in the ship, said sources close to the port.
At the Kathar port, each timber company has to give 40 tons of timber for every 100 tons as tax to the regime and it is not negotiable said, added port sources.
The KDNG chairman Awng Wa said, the timber is mainly transported to India, China, Malaysia and Singapore from Rangoon port. Some of the companies in the timber trade are Pacific Timber Company, Yuzana Company, Ever Winner Timber Company, Htoo Company, Myat Noo Tu Company, Jadeland Myanmar, Dagon Company and Great Wall Company, added Awng Wa.
Indian timber businessmen and other businessmen from different countries are operating at the Kathar port, said port sources.
The timber is transported from the forests around Indawgyi Lake, from the areas near Namti and Mayan village, Gwi Htu valley near Myitkyina, Mohnyin District, Hukawng Valley and the forests in the border between Sagaing Division and Kahcin State, said local timber traders.
Local Kachins in Mayan village told KNG, they are unhappy and frustrated because the trees are being felled by logging companies. They cannot protect forests which have been preserved since the time of their ancestors.
According to local timber company loggers, the firms are providing them chain-saws made in Germany to cut down trees because Chinese chain-saws are of bad quality and often break. They also said the companies pay them 500 Kyat per ton as felling charges.
Sources close to timber companies said the logging activities are done with sophisticated machines such as cranes, trucks and chain-saws. Train transportation system is also used between Kahtar and Rangoon.
Earlier, timber from Kachin State and Sagaing Division were mainly exported to China through the border of the two countries. But this is an illegal timber route, border traders said.
