Burma has agreed in principle to resume timber trading with Thailand, a move that has triggered concerns about the impact on the environment and the abuse of ethnic minorities in Burma. Noppadon Pattama, assistant to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat, confirmed that timber trading was on the agenda during talks on Wednesday between Burmese leaders and a cabinet delegation led by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

”This is an important step for sharing benefits between the two countries. Burma, for its part, will be more confident that illegal border trading will decrease,” he said at a press conference.

There will be talks with relevant Thai organisations and private companies next week to determine the demand for timber each year and the types of wood.

”A deal will probably be done in the form of a government-to-government contract. Or the government might just play the role of facilitator,” he said.

Panithi Thangpati, chairman of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, voiced concern that timber trading with Burma might aggravate illegal logging in Thailand.

Unscrupulous loggers could cut the trees in Thai forests but brand them as imported, as happened in the past, he said. It was very difficult to tell whether timber came from Burma or Thailand.

”While I think it is a good idea to import timber, it is necessary to have strict measures to ensure the wood is not from our forests,” Mr Panithi said.

He recalled the high-profile case of loggers felling trees in the Salween forest which were then ”imported” to Thailand. The scandal eventually led to the banning of timber imports from Burma. Mr Panithi said there were legal loopholes that make illegal logging possible.

Outgoing Chiang Rai Senator Tuenjai Deethes was worried that the benefits from logging would be at the expense of ethnic minorities in Burma.

She said it was possible that the logging contract might lead to violations of the human rights of ethnic people, whom the ruling junta has accused of ”stealing” Burma’s natural resources.

Mrs Tuenjai said Thailand, as a neighbouring country, should promote the ideal of environmental conservation, not exploitation for the sake of the business sector.

She shared the views of other critics that it was not appropriate for a caretaker government to enter into an agreement with a foreign country.

But Mr Noppadon insisted it was not out of place for the caretaker Thaksin administration to strike a deal, as the issue had long been discussed bilaterally.