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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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With better fire power, political clout : Timber pirates hold sway Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe Felling priceless trees like ebony, mahogany and teak in State forest reserves has become such a well organised racket in the past that many forest officers and game rangers who stood in the way of poachers and illicit timber fellers became victims of murder and assault in the past. Some honest officers of the Forest and Wild Life Conservation Department have been shot, killed and maimed by thugs for not falling in line with their illegal activities. It is a known fact that illicit timber fellers with political clout often resort to thuggery or intimidation to harass honest officers to turn a blind eye. The latest killing of a forest beat officer was reported from Elahara -Kiri-Oya last week when G.D. Guruge (45) was abducted by villagers and beaten to death after a quarrel. Three other beat officers abducted by the same gang were admitted to Polonnaruwa hospital with grievous injuries. The on going battle between illicit timber fellers and officers of the Forest and Wild Life Conservation Department revolves around illicit felling of timber, gem and sand mining etc. It had become such a lucrative business that the pirates and illicit gem miners have carried on with their trade in forest reserves and national parks with the support of corrupt local politicians. The Conservator General, Sarath Fernando said that two Game Rangers of the Wildlife and Conservation Department were shot dead by illicit timber fellers in the Puttalam district in 2002. There have been numerous other instances where several officers of the department were grievously injured with confrontation with illicit timber fellers in the past. At Nawagathegama, one beat forest officer and two field guards were set upon by illicit timber fellers and beaten up in 2001. A Beat Forest officer was nearly run over by a lorry driven by illicit timber fellers at Karuwalagasweva forest last year. He miraculously escaped death when the lorry ran only over his leg grievously injuring him. Three Game Rangers were also assaulted in a teak plantation in Hambantota district when they tried to apprehend illicit gem miners. A confrontation between timber pirates and the Police in the Moneragala district last year led to shooting when the former fired at officials. Several persons were injured in the incident were admitted to hospital for treatment. According to Department of Wild Life and Conservation sources around 70 officers, have been slain since 1985. Twenty five officers were killed in Ampara-Kumana area and four officers in Pottuvil area during the civil conflict during 1980. Other officers have been killed by timber pirates and poachers. Although numerous such incidents have been reported in the past no action has been taken to halt the killings. Timber pirates too act with impunity as there are influential people to protect their interests. The situation has become so alarming that Minister of Environmental & Natural Resources, A.H.M. Fowzie had proposed to the Ministry of Defence to provide at least a few T-56 weapons to Forest Rangers and Game Beat officers of the Wild Life Conservation Department who are often killed by timber pirates and poachers. The Minister said that Forest Officers and Game Rangers will be given a training in future to handle sophisticated firearms with assistance from police and the army. According to Departmental sources although obsolete repeater shot guns and pistols have been issued to Game Rangers and Beat Forest officers in the past, timber pirates and poachers are equipped with lethal weapons like T-56 weapons with more firepower. National Parks that comes under the purview of the Wildlife and the
Conservation Department are in Lunugamvehera, Udawalawa, Wasgamuwa, Flood
Plains, Bundhala, Sinharaja Forest, Nakiyadeniya and the Knuckles range. |
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