Director Thein Toe from Yangon Region Forest Department said that the newly enacted Biodiversity and Protection of Wildlife Sanctuary Law could give a maximum 10-year prison term to those who kill wildlife elephants.

Thein Toe said in reply to a question from by Mizzima that the newly enacted Biodiversity and Protection of Wildlife Sanctuary Law stipulated that killing, hunting, and selling the parts of wild elephants are prohibited and poachers shall be mandatorily given a minimum 3-year prison term and maximum 10-year prison term.

According to statistics released by the Forest Department, 35 wild elephants were killed across the country in 2015, 26 in 2016 and 59 wild elephants were killed in 2017 and Ayeyarwady Region has the highest incidents.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation drafted the bill ‘Biodiversity and Wildlife Sanctuary Law’ by amending and modifying the old ‘Protection of Wildlife and Natural Plants and Conservation of Wildlife Sanctuary Law 1994’ the union parliament passed this bill on May 21, 2018, and it was enacted and promulgated.