Tatmadaw seized over 9,900 tons of assorted woods including teak worth over Ks-11 billion, 74 illegal fishing vessels and smuggling boats in 2020
Nay Pyi Taw January 22
The Tatmadaw is preventing illegal tapping of Myanmar’s land and water resources in cooperation with departmental officials and security forces while serving its duties of national defence, territorial safety and protection of public lives and property.
The State enacted the forestry law as the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No.29 on 20 September 2018 and is exposing illegal logging and making arrests in line with the provisions of the law such as exposing, arresting, taking action in accord with the management procedure and passing sentences. The Tatmadaw is also exposing such cases and making arrests in respective military commands through cooperation. As regards the seizures of illegal timbers and logs from 17 October to 23 Decem-ber 2020, about 3,629.45 tons of Padauk, Kanyin and other woods including some 360 tons of teak worth about Ks-7.8 billion as estimated value were seized together with 12 motor schooners including one over 200 feet long ship and 61 persons were arrested from the areas in rivers and creeks streaming into the sea, west of Taungup Town-ship, Rakhine State. They were handed over to authorities concerned.
As to the seizures of illegal logs and timbers in various regions and states in 2020, the Tatmadaw seized over 1,500 tons of assorted woods including over 282 tons of teak and 48 vehicles, heavy machinery and related equipment in Kachin State, over 2,100 tons of assorted woods including over 1,200 tons of teak and 84 vehicles and heavy machinery and accessories in Shan State and over 2,500 tons of assorted woods including over 120 tons of teak and 39 vehicles and heavy machinery and accessories in other regions and states. The seizures in total were over 6,200 tons of woods worth over Ks-3.2 billion as estimated value and 170 vehicles and heavy machinery and accessories, and they were handed over to authorities concerned. In 2020, the Tatmadaw seized over 9,900 tons of assorted woods including teak worth over Ks-11 billion and 182 vehicles, heavy machinery and accessories.
In addition, being an economic hub, which has a 1,260.56 nautical miles long coastal line and an area of more than 140,000 square miles of territorial waters, covering the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, the Tatmadaw (Navy) has carried out security operations called Yaynaga and Myit Ayeyar day and night to prevent illegal migration, to prevent the smuggling of precious water resources and to guarantee security of the sea.
As the maritime interests of Myanmar have expanded with the development of the country, with the aim of protecting the maritime interests of the country and ensuring maritime security, the maritime police force was formed under the Myanmar Police Force of the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide the security for Myanmar waters, local waterways, ports, rivers and creeks in June 2012. Since the inception of the maritime police force, officers and other ranks and warships of the Tatmadaw (Navy) have been transferred to the maritime police force to accelerate the momentum of the protection of the maritime interests of the country.
In cooperation with responsible officials, the Tatmadaw (Navy) has been carrying out duties to prevent illegal exploitation of water resources and illegal immigration day and night. In doing so, the Tatmadaw (Navy) arrested six illegal trawlers and smuggling boats with 30 smugglers in the territorial water adjacent to Mon State, 68 illegal trawlers and smuggling boats with 434 law offenders in the water adjacent to Taninthayi Region in 2020, totalling 74 illegal trawlers and smuggling boats and 464 offenders together with related equipment and handed over to the relevant authorities in 2020.
In addition to the security and defence of the state, the Tatmadaw has been cooperating with relevant departments to prevent the smuggling of resources under water and above water and underground and above the ground in the interests of the nation.