REPEAT OFFENDER Vietnam’s persistent trade in illegal timber ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was written and edited by the Environmental Investigation Agency UK Ltd. This document has been produced with CONTENTS the financial assistance of UKaid and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility 2 INTRODUCTION of EIA. EIA expresses its gratitude to the individuals 3 VIETNAM’S TRADE IN STOLEN TIMBER who contributed to the production of this report and who for safety reasons must remain anonymous. 7 STATE-SANCTIONED TIMBER THEFT 16 REGULATING FOREST CRIME May 2017 © Environmental Investigation Agency 2017 18 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS All images © EIA unless otherwise stated Design: www.designsolutions.me.uk LAOS Dong Ha La Ley THAILAND Attapeu town Bo Y O’Tabok Pleiku Qui Nhon O’Tang Le Thanh CAMBODIA Phnom Penh VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh City ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (EIA) 62/63 Upper Street, London N1 0NY, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7354 7960 email:
[email protected] www.eia-international.org EIA US P.O.Box 53343 Washington DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 483 6621 email:
[email protected] COVER: Logs illegally cut in O’Tabok Community Protected Area, within Virachey National Park in Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province, await transportation to Vietnam, February 2017. INTRODUCTION This month, Vietnam and the European Union (EU) will initial an agreement to ensure only legally harvested and traded timber flows through Vietnam to the EU and beyond. But as both parties meet to secure corrupt Cambodian officials and With about 300,000m3 of logs having commitments, Government officials and security force personnel in the pay been smuggled out of Cambodia and security force personnel in Vietnam will of Vietnamese timber traders.