|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 27 September 2003 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Movement condemns attack on wildlife officers by thugs by Florence Wickramage The Green Movement of Sri Lanka has condemned the attack on wildlife field officers by armed thugs when they took into custody a load of satin wood cut from the Hambegamuwa Forest reserve at Thanamalwila. The 25 field officers from the Thanamalwila and Koslande Wildlife Range offices were attacked on September 24 at 11 p.m. when transporting the haul to the Thanamalwila Range office in a vehicle belonging to the State Timber Corporation. Suranjan Kodituwakku, chief organiser of the Green Movement said that illegal massive forest deforestation had taken place in forest reserves in the Uva Province like Walawe Ganga, Kirindi Oya, Kumbukkan Oya and Menik Ganga catchment reserves with politicians' blessings recently. Uda Walawe, Lunugamvehera, Yala, Bundala and Handapangala have been severely affected by illegal logging. As a result, the prevailing drought has impacted seriously on the wildlife in these parks. In spite of obstacles, the range officers in these areas have carried out their duties in the face of death threats by illicit timber loggers and poachers of game-meat. Kodituwakku also said the Government and the Department of Wildlife Conservation have failed to provide equipment and facilities to wildlife field officers and prevent unlawful activities with political backing carried out in national parks and reserves under the Department of Wildlife Conservation's purview. Range officer Kumarasinghe's killing is one example, at whose funeral the Government had undertaken to provide better facilities to field officers. While warning that this could demoralise the field staff, the Green Movement requested the Government to provide facilities needed by wildlife field staff in the discharge of their duties and to make provision for them to obtain the help of the armed forces and the police in arresting these culprits. The Green Movement also called on the Government and the Environment and Natural Resources Minister to take action to halt political backing given to illegal timber loggers and poachers and to assist the field staff who continue raids on illegal activities in the Hambegamuwa Forest Reserve in the Uva Province. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
