Today the Thai government destroyed over two tonnes of ivory in a ceremony held by the Prime Minister, reports The Nation.
The ceremony marks the first time the kingdom has made an open stance and actively destroyed the stockpile. The prime minister said:
“This is to show the Thai government’s strong determination to oppose ivory trafficking and that Thailand will comply with international rules.”
He went on to say:
“I will no longer tolerate corruption and ignorance in this matter.”
Criminal defense lawyers in Thailand Chaninat and Leeds are experts and handling criminal law cases for both Thai nationals and foreigners.
Animal rights activists have long campaigned for the country to remove the stockpile, and have argued that the government has frequently turned a blind eye to ivory related crimes, which fuels elephant slaughter on a large scale.
Ivory tusks. Image Credit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Flickr)
Ivory trade was banned in 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), however money hungry criminals have frequently exploited the demand for tusk.
Earlier this year, the government ordered all Thai nationals to hand in any ivory they had in their homes.
The ivory destroyed in today’s ceremony accounts for almost all ivory collected in criminal cases.
For the full story go here.
In April this year the Thai Customs Department seized what they described as the biggest ivory bust in the nation’s history. They seized over four tons at of ivory valued at $6million. Read more here.
If you – like us, were wondering who still buys ivory, you may be interested in this National Geographic article.
View our interview on illegal ivory trade in Thailand below.
