Another potential source for Asian rhino products is the island of Sumatra for which Singapore has been a market and entrepot. There has always been a demand for these horns in Singapore for traditional medicine, and traders have also re-exported some to dealers in South East Asia. But in December 1991, the Singapore Customs Authority intercepted a consignment of Asian horns sent from Sumatra. This was the first major seizure of horn by the government since joining CITES in 1986. Following this recent loss, it is possible that the exporters of rhino products in Indonesia might choose to send the horns to a safer place, namely Bangkok.
Although it is encouraging that there are fewer rhino products for sale in Bangkok, conditions at any time could change, and the pharmacists would buy new products if they were available. For instance, poaching of the Sumatran rhino could increase in eastern Burma. Most of these animals are in the Tenasserim Range near the border with Thailand, where presently they are protected by the Karen military forces. The head of this rebel group, who has been fighting the Burmese government for many years, has stated on several occasions that if one of his men were to kill a rhino in the Karen area he would be punished by death. There is no doubt that rhinos still do exist in areas controlled by the Karens (Murray Watson, pers comm, April 1992).
For rhino conservation and the protection of rare species, the new Wildlife Act of 1992 is the most promising piece of legislation to be passed in Thailand for many years. Article 54 of this Act stipulates a maximum prison term of seven years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht (about $3,910) for hunting endangered species such as rhinos in a specifically protected area. Concerning the trade, illegal possession and import or export of rare species and their parts, Article 47 states that a person who is found guilty of such an offence will he imprisoned for up to four years or shall be fined a maximum of 40,000 baht or both. Article 55 imposes the same penalties on accomplices who illegally obtain a protected species or its parts such as Asian rhino horn or skin. The Act also makes it compulsory for people who possess undocumented rhino commodities to register their stocks with the appropriate government authority within ninety days from the day the Act became effective (28 February 1992). The owner can continue to keep the registered rhino products, but is not allowed to sell them. If the rhino products were legally possessed some time in the past and were recently registered with the Forest Department, a temporary trading permit may be issued to allow the trader to dispose of his commodities within three years. The trader, however, must send a monthly sales report to the Forest Department. To make this Act effective for rhino conservation, the two African species and the greater onehorned rhino will have to be included in the endangered wildlife list. When the 1992 Act was originally promulgated, only the Sumatran and Javan species were included. However, all CITES Appendix 1 species will soon be covered by the Act (Boonlerd, pers. comm.). Regular inspections must be carried out to check that the pharmacies are not selling prohibited rhino products. This new Act is a major piece of legislation, but for it to be effective, it has to be enforced. Hopefully, the Forest Department, Customs and other government bodies will now give a higher priority to wildlife conservation and allocate the resources needed to enforce the new Wildlife Act. Otherwise, yet more public criticism of Thailand will have to be instigated.
