Vietnam embassy in rhino row
YOLANDI GROENEWALD | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Nov 14 2008 06:00



A Vietnamese embassy staff member has allegedly been caught red-handed on film in an illegal rhinoceros horn transaction in front of the embassy building in Pretoria.

The footage was captured by the SABC's nature investigations programme, 50/50, two months ago at a time when conservationists fear that the rhino wars of the Eighties are flaring up again.

This year alone more than 40 rhinos have been killed in South Africa, with about 30 of them thought to have been poached in the Kruger Park and 12 in KwaZulu-Natal parks.

In addition, conservationists have accused Zimbabwean and Mozambican conservation authorities of doing too little to stem a new wave of organised poaching, while warning that poaching activities could soon erupt in a "free for all". Under international law it is illegal to trade rhino horn products and in South Africa it is an offence, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail and a R250 000 fine.

Most fingers point to Vietnamese syndicates, which have sought to monopolise the rhino horn trade in recent years.

A member of a special government investigating team told the Mail & Guardian this week that staff of the Vietnamese embassy were thought to be involved in rhino horn trafficking and were using diplomatic pouches to smuggle the horns to the Far East.

The 50/50 footage -- to be aired on Monday night -- shows a woman thought to be the embassy receptionist talking to a known agent of a rhino horn smuggling syndicate, who hands her a horn. Smiling, she then heads into the embassy.

50/50 tried to get comment from the embassy for two months, without success. The embassy declined to comment to the M&G, but requested a meeting with the paper next week where it promised to respond to the allegations.

Last year the Vietnamese daily, Thahn Nien, reported that South African police had complained to the embassy that one of its officials was conveying rhino horns out of South Africa. Vietnamese authorities allegedly took action against the official, but he was not charged here.


In June another Vietnamese national was reportedly arrested in Vietnam for smuggling five horns, worth R2-million.

An explosive report about horn smuggling, written by a member of the government task team, also alleged that Far East embassies in neighbouring Mozambique may be involved in the smuggling.

The investigator, who asked not to be named, said 55 rhinos have been killed on the border of the Kruger Park in Mozambique, 18 in the past nine months. This and other forms of poaching posed a threat to the South Africa-Mozambican trans-frontier park.

"It is definitely escalating," he said, adding that South African investigators had caught many offenders, but that Mozambican law enforcers let them down at the last moment.

The 18 horns poached this year have not surfaced yet, leading investigators to believe that they have found their way out of Mozambique.

"The Mozambican anti-poaching legal network is quite weak," he said. "In most cases nothing has happened."

The investigator was unhappy that South African authorities were reluctant to get involved because they feared jeopardising bilateral relationships. He said that unlike their predecessors in the Eighties, the new Southern African horn syndicates were sophisticated and well organised and the syndicate bosses rarely got their hands dirty.

Prices range between R12 000 and R20 000 per kilogram for a horn, but in reselling it, syndicates can make up to R100 000 per kilogram. Prices of horns have skyrocketed in recent years.

International law allows hunters to shoot rhinos legally as trophies. But because rhino hunts are so expensive, it is cheaper to use hunting licences to smuggle poached horns than to shoot the animals.

Investigators say conservation officials lack the capacity to check if the right rhino has been shot.

In June South Africa's environment minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, announced a moratorium on all trade in horns, to counter the smuggling upsurge.

Van Schalkwyk told Parliament: "This indiscriminate illegal trade in rhino is directly linked to organised crime and the fact that approximately 27 white rhino were poached in the Kruger National Park during the past two years, as well as a definite increase in incidents in other parts of the country."

Internationally the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) also established a rhinoceros enforcement task force in July to combat poaching. In Asia poaching poses an even more direct threat to the species.

South African National Parks is conducting a sensitive investigation into poaching in its parks. SANParks head of communications Wanda Mkutshulwa confirmed the increase in rhino poaching.

"We're working hard to stem the tide, as even one rhino poached is one too many," she said. "Our investigators are confident they will be able to come up with good results before long."

According to the World Wildlife Fund rhino horn is a valuable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine -- despite the absence of scientific evidence of its curative properties. Contrary to popular belief, it is not used as an aphrodisiac.

Considered a powerful heat-reducing remedy, horn is used to treat fever, delirium, high blood pressure and other ailments.

Don't they have Aspirin over there?
Peter.

One of my sources told me that mpumalanga parks board caught some of these smugglers Locals working with vietnamies.

Rhino permits is more difficult to get as the demand for rhino hunts more than doubled and the price aswell.

BEWARE IF YOU GET OFFERED A CHEAP RHINO WITH WITH A RREPLICA HORN AS YOUR TROPHY

there is outfitters selling the rhino's to vietnamiese clients according to the hunt registar its normally a woman and she wants the ph to shoot the rhino they then sell you as a client a cheap rhino hunt to pull the trigger and make some extra money I wont mention amounts but the profit on this sort of hunts is huge and guess what they double it with your cheap hunt. you anyway pay for your replica

Just watch out its helping the smugglers and you might just get a knock on the door they a watching this very closely

All this talk of using rhino horn as an aphrodisiac is a load old nonsense anyway and I don't know why these guys bother with it.

I've tried it loads of times, and no matter how well you tie the damn thing on, it just falls off because it;s so heavy.

Ah, why didn't I think of that! - Which way should it point?

quote:

Which way should it point?

Up Steve, up! You've got to get it pointing upwards.[

Where can I get some of those little blue pills everyone talks about? - A couple of them should get it pointing the right way.

Oh sorry, I'd forgotten we were talking about RHINO horn.......... must be getting 'old timers disease'

I saw the exposute on 50:50 last night. The total incompetence of SA Government Departments in this regard made me think of a signature line used here by ? Sorry I'm just having a serious senior moment!

It is something like: "There comes a time in every man's life when he wants to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats!" I feel like doing exactly that!

But on a serious note: I hereby offer my services as Professional Hunter for free to anyone who wants to hunt rhino poachers. Daily Rate? Also free! Trophy fee? I buy you a beer for each poacher shot. If you get one of the big behind the scenes boys, I'll pay you at least a $500 000 000 000 - unfortunately it'll be in Zimbo currency! Rifle use and ammo also thrown into the deal for free!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Vietnam recalls SA diplomat

November 19 2008 at 03:39PM


Hanoi - Vietnam said on Wednesday it would recall one of its diplomats from South Africa after she was filmed conducting an illegal transaction in rhinoceros horn.

Television footage shot two months ago in South Africa showed the diplomat talking to an agent of a rhino horn smuggling syndicate and then taking a horn back into the Vietnamese embassy in Pretoria, a news report said.

South Africa's Mail and Guardian newspaper quoted a South African government investigating team as saying Vietnamese embassy staff were thought to be involved in rhino horn trafficking, using diplomatic pouches.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Dung said in a statement sent to AFP that the "consistent policy of Vietnam is to actively protect wild animals and to ban the illegal trade in wild animals".


He said that the ministry had "decided to repatriate Mrs Vu Moc Anh, an official of the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa... to Vietnam to make a report and clarify the affair".

The Mail and Guardian reported that more than 40 rhinos have been killed in South African national parks this year.

"Most fingers point to Vietnamese syndicates, which have sought to monopolise the rhino horn trade in recent years," the report said.

Rhino horn is used in traditional east Asian medicine to treat fever and high blood pressure.

Wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC says Vietnam is a major destination and trans-shipment country for the illegal wildlife trade. - AFP

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Vietnam recalls SA diplomat

November 19 2008 at 03:39PM


Hanoi - Vietnam said on Wednesday it would recall one of its diplomats from South Africa after she was filmed conducting an illegal transaction in rhinoceros horn.

Television footage shot two months ago in South Africa showed the diplomat talking to an agent of a rhino horn smuggling syndicate and then taking a horn back into the Vietnamese embassy in Pretoria, a news report said.

South Africa's Mail and Guardian newspaper quoted a South African government investigating team as saying Vietnamese embassy staff were thought to be involved in rhino horn trafficking, using diplomatic pouches.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Dung said in a statement sent to AFP that the "consistent policy of Vietnam is to actively protect wild animals and to ban the illegal trade in wild animals".


He said that the ministry had "decided to repatriate Mrs Vu Moc Anh, an official of the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa... to Vietnam to make a report and clarify the affair".

The Mail and Guardian reported that more than 40 rhinos have been killed in South African national parks this year.

"Most fingers point to Vietnamese syndicates, which have sought to monopolise the rhino horn trade in recent years," the report said.

Rhino horn is used in traditional east Asian medicine to treat fever and high blood pressure.

Wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC says Vietnam is a major destination and trans-shipment country for the illegal wildlife trade. - AFP

Ha ha ha Someone called Le Dung wants to be taken seriously!

South Africa should demand all citizens of Vietnam vacate the embassy and demand closure of the Embassy for vilations of its laws. They should also recall their diplomatic personnel from the republic of Vietnam until closure is realized from this situation.

With the current level of Asian influence in Africa, the future of the widlife is in doubt. If given a chance, the Asian culture will drive the elephant, the tiger, the bear, the rhino, the lion and the leopard to extinction. It's time for them to put an end to the folk medicine trade and enter a modern society.

Mac