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Published on August 17, 2007

"I will submit relevant documents to the NCCC," Plodprasop said yesterday.

He said some NCCC members claimed that they did not see China's written request to buy the tigers, while such documents existed.

"Another point is that the NCCC has accused me of breaching Clause 1 of Section 26 in the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, while I exercised my authority under Clause 2," Plodprasop said.

According to Clause 2, private zoos can export animals if they obtain permission from the government. The animals in this case belonged to privately owned Sri Racha Tiger Zoo.

Plodprasop said he had previously exercised his authority in this manner while at the helm of the Royal Forestry Department and did not have any problem.

He insisted that his action had caused no harm to the country. He saw it as good for Thailand's relationships with China.

Watana Vetayaprasit, who heads the Wildlife and Wild Plant Conservation and Protection Division, said the case now seemed to depend on how the NCCC would interpret the law.

"I don't know whether the case will make it harder to export animals," he said.

According to Watana, the Lao government has asked for six Bengal tigers from Thailand and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation was still considering the request.

If approved, the tigers will be sent to a state zoo in Laos.