Weak preservation of timber seized from illegal logging in Arakan State has resulted in about 30% of the wood decaying before it could be sold at auction, said Dr. Maung Maung Kyi, chairperson of the Rakhine Coastal Region Conservation Association (RCA).

The timber is weathered by wind and water, as it is piled in the open air, he added.

“It takes time to sell seized timber at auction, because they have to submit the case to all levels step by step. Some timbers decayed as they are left in the open air for about two years. So, the country has a big loss,” he told DMG.

Dr. Maung Maung Kyi said authorities needed to be mindful of the red tape that delays selling seized timber at auction.

There were about 1,378 tonnes of seized timber at the Forest Department in Arakan State as of the end of September, and the state government has currently granted permission to sell just 750 of those tonnes at auction.

“We cannot sell seized timber immediately,” said an official of the Forest Department in Arakan State. “If illegal timber is seized, the case is submitted to the court. Then, an application is submitted to the state government to sell [the timber] at auction after the court case is finished. We can sell the seized timber at auction when the permission is granted by the government.”

Ko Moe Kyaw, a resident of the Arakan State capital Sittwe, said seized timber should be sold in short order rather than piling up exposed to the elements for years. He added that the auction process should be transparent.

“When an auction opens, it would be better if many people know about it. At the moment, only those who are close to authorities know about the auction and they come and buy at the auctions now,” he said.

Between October 2020 and August 2021, nearly 5,200 tonnes of timber were seized in Arakan State, with Thandwe District accounting for most of the haul, at 4,047 tonnes.