FREELANDER Issue 2 (English)

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FREELAND is dedicated to making the world free of wildlife trafficking and human slavery by increasing law enforcement capacity, supporting vulnerable communities and raising awareness.

The multi-billion dollar illegal trade in protected species is one of the most lucrative illicit markets in the world today. Combined with habitat loss, it is driving many species towards extinction.

Unchecked nature crime not only ravages biodiversity, but the knock-on effects can unravel entire ecosystems. The loss of important watersheds and carbon sinks, for example, accelerates global warming, endangers human health and food security Human trafficking targets vulnerable people for labor and sexual exploitation, destroying lives and tearing families apart. FREELAND believes a compassionate world is a world free of slavery.

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Dear Supporters,

Justice Ministry of Foreig 443 Sri A n Affair s, yu email. m dhya Rd., Bangk Thailand inister@ o k 10400 mfa.go.t h Ministry o P.O. Box f Foreign Affair 1, Abu D s, UAE ha email. in fo@mofa bi .gov.ae

Thanks to the power of social networking and the media, the case of Noor Mahmood, the “Dubai smuggler”, is not going to be swept under the carpet.

Thanks to all of you, it’s too late for that.

Mr. Mahmood was caught red-handed smuggling seven live endangered animals onto his 1st class flight from Bangkok to Dubai on May 13th by the Thai Nature Crime Police Task Force. FREELAND was there to document the case and alert the World. Over 600 news stories ran in papers and on TV from Asia to the Middle East and North America. Dozens of people responded via social networks calling for justice and asking for updates on the welfare of the animals, which were taken care of professionally by Thai vets and authorities.

Despite the international attention, Mr. Mahmood received help from a shadowy hand to escape Thailand on May 23rd, just before he was due to report to the Task Force, which is now seeking his return for prosecution.

We still need your help to make sure the case is pursued. In the name wildlife conservation, animal welfare, and justice, ask the Government of United Arab Emirates to return Mr. Mahmood to meet the Thai Nature Crime Police Task Force to make amends. Tell the newly elected Thai Government that you hope they will investigate who exactly helped him escape police prosecution. That person or group is an accomplice to a crime. Please write for justice using the addresses above.

And Mr. Mahmood, if you or other people who have committed wildlife crimes are reading this, we ask that you turn over a new a leaf and join the movement to conserve, not traffic, wildlife. Everyone can change for the better. But you’ve got to face up to the problem first, not run away from it.

Please everyone, don’t give up on wildlife. Keep pressing for justice and stay tuned.

-Steve

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Cover story

AIRPORT STING SAVES ANIMALS but suspect jumps bail FREELAND is supporting Thai Nature Crime Police efforts to bring UAE citizen Noor Mahmood to justice for trying to smuggle a suitcase full of live endangered animals from Bangkok to Dubai.

Last month, Mr. Mahmood fled Thailand to avoid prosecution.

Mr. Mahmood was originally detained at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on May 13, when endangered animals (including four leopard cubs, a Malayan Sun Bear cub, a Marmoset and a baby Red-cheeked Gibbon) were discovered in his suitcase.

See our feature photo spread on post-rescue care for these trafficking survivors [pages 10-17].

ARRESTing DEPLETION OF ASIA’S WILDLIFE

USAID backs FREELAND-led partnership

To help Asia secure its unique biodiversity, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has endorsed FREELAND’s plan to work with ASEAN member countries, China, South Asia and nongovernment partners across the region to reduce illegal wildlife trade.

This new program is called ARREST (Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking). You’ll be hearing more about it from FREELAND and our partners because the public and private sector have important roles to play in this vital mission to ARREST depletion of Asia’s wildlife and revive living ecosystems.

Program partners:

Over the next five years, ARREST will: •Strengthen and sustain the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network; •Widen the Network’s links to China, South Asia, the United States, and other parts of the world; •Develop regional centers of excellence in marine enforcement, forest protection, and wildlife crime forensics; •Help replicate best practices for wildlife law enforcement and conservation throughout Asia; and •Work to reduce demand for wildlife in key consumption hotspots.

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Col. Kiattipong Khawsamang of Nature Crime Police (sitting right) and the arrested suspect (sitting center) face the media

TRACKED DOWN Tiger trafficking ring shaken

An undercover unit of the Thai Nature Crime Police led by Col. Kiattipong Khawsamang tracked down and arrested 49-year-old Sudjai Chanthawong, in the northeastern city of Udon Thani on May 21. Mr. Chanthawong is suspected of being a key link in what may be Thailand’s largest tiger trafficking ring - a gang thought to be responsible for moving up to 1,000 tigers and leopards across the border into Laos and Vietnam over the past decade.

Mr. Chanthawong is the third suspect arrested as the result of a sophisticated year-long undercover Nature Crime Police operation supported by FREELAND. This operation is the subject of a National Geographic TV documentary called “Crimes Against Nature: Tiger Trackdown”, which premiered across Asia just days after police nabbed their latest suspect. Investigations into the gang are ongoing.

SURVIVORS Four leopard cubs less than a month old were rescued from a suitcase at Survarnabhumi International Airport last month, before they could be put on a flight to Dubai. They were found stuffed into plastic tubes with small air holes.

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FREELAND’S team reports from the scene of a major reptile rescue

SAVING LIVES is no vacation

“We’re at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 10pm, but not to fly anywhere.

We’re responding to an urgent call from Royal Thai Customs, who’ve discovered hundreds of protected exotic Indian and Burmese Star Tortoises in two unclaimed suitcases.

They’ve been packed inside for up to 10 days and are severely dehydrated; several have already died. FREELAND Field Biologist Thattaya Bidayabha is on scene to help identify the species, and guide their handling until the vets arrive.

It takes hours to revive and catalogue the tortoises. They’re a long way from home and we need to find somewhere they can stay, at least temporarily. By the time we get home ourselves, it’s 2am, but we sleep soundly knowing that more than 350 lives have been saved tonight.” d escue rtles r June 1 u t f o n s port o ndred of hu bhumi Air e n O a ) (inset at Suvarn

“Unfortunately, this happens all too often and we’re noticing some worrying trends. Loading tags on the suitcasese were marked ‘Dhaka, Bangladesh’. Four similarly tagged suitcases were found a week earlier with hundreds of reptiles, including more Indian Star tortoises, Asiatic Softshell turtles, and recently hatched Gharials among the most endangered crocodilians on the planet.

These reptiles are being transported on passenger jets.

They have more legs than us but even less leg room, and nothing to eat or drink. What endangered animals might be suffering on your next flight? Let’s work together to stop wildlife trafficking.”

Chanadda Thanikulapat & Bussara Tirakalyanapan FREELAND Program Support Officers June 10, 2011

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As many as 800,000 people are trafficked every year, and approximately 12.3 million remain in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution, according to the latest U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report.

Photo: Dan Iggers

HUMAN TRAFFICKING United Nations led Symposium

On March 31, FREELAND joined a symposium in Bangkok, highlighting best practices for combatting human trafficking with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP), and International Justice Mission. Discussion focused on recent and ongoing supported cases in Southeast Asia, with participants exchanging advice on how to facilitate effective law enforcement and victim care in these and future interventions.

FREELAND is currently collaborating with UN agencies, international NGOs and grass roots groups to increase efforts to combat human trafficking. Experiences shared at the symposium underlined the importance of proactive law enforcement to dismantle the criminal networks responsible, and stressed the importance of care for victims, as well as engagement with civil society and the media to build support for anti-trafficking efforts.

LIVING IN HARMONY

Learning to live with elephants

Thailand’s Eastern Forest Complex, a UNESCO world heritage site, remains one of the country’s last havens for wildlife. It’s parks are home to many endangered species, including wild elephants.

Much of the forest around the Complex where elephants used to roam and forage freely has been replaced by farmland.

Now, damage to crops is increasing tension between local farmers and elephants. To help find ways to solve this problem before farmers or elephants lose their lives, FREELAND staff and rangers attended crop-raiding response training with the Elephant Conservation Network near Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary last year, where similar problems have been successfully mitigated.

This year, rangers have been collecting data and engaging with villagers to develop non-lethal deterrents. An observation tower has already been built and other preparations are underway to ensure farmers can protect their crops without hurting elephants during the coming dry season.

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Many live animals rescued from wildlife traffickers cannot be repatriated or released into the wild.

Predators held in captivity, for example, usually lose their ability to hunt and learn to see humans as providers rather than a potential threat.

On average, more than 26,700 live animals are rescued from traffickers each year in Southeast Asia alone (just a fraction of the total trafficked).

Caring for these animals places a huge burden on governments and other groups that support this vital work. In many countries, wildlife care facilities are full and sometimes cannot afford to feed animals.

FREELAND pays tribute to the dedicated government agencies, veterinarians and volunteers caring for animals that survive trafficking.

A portion of the donations we receive supports care for rescued wildlife. And we will continue to do our best to make sure these animals are not removed from their natural habitat in the first place.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Report anything you see that looks suspicious to us at info@freeland.org We will follow up.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Tell your friends, spread the word, make a donation.

It’s a big problem, but together we can be a bigger solution!

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www.freeland.org