International News

Ivory approved for sale in southern Africa

On Tuesday the delegates to the U.N. convention on international trade in endangered species in Santiago, Chile decided to allow Namibia, South Africa and Botswana to sell off up to 30 tons of their legally held ivory stockpiles.

Conservationists deplored the decision which fell short of the complete opening up of the trade which southern African states have lobbied for. It is being interpreted as the beginning of the end of the 13–year ban on all ivory trading.

The 30 tons could bring the three countries up to $20.5 million in revenue. Conservationists believe it will also send a message to poachers that full ivory trading is sanctioned again.

In just over a decade before trading ceased in 1989, the level of slaughter saw African elephant numbers halve from 1.2 million to 600,000.

"The result is a terrible loss for elephants in Africa and Asia, and for the many countries that will now have to battle to protect their elephants from the certain increase in illegal poaching," Michael Wamithi of the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.

"This is not a decision to open the trade but it could lead to it in a few years' time. We are not sure exactly what the immediate effect of selling the stocks will be but there are real risks," Susan Lieberman of WWF International said.

However, non-governmental organizations in several African countries welcomed the development.

"African people should be allowed to escape their poverty by making use of their resources—even elephants—without the interference of elitest eco–imperialism by non–governmental organizations who are only interested in protecting animals, and not human beings," James Shikwati of the Sustainable Development Network in Nairobi, which represents 30 groups in India, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa said.

The vote to allow the sale followed the abstention of the European Union and a controversial U.S. move to broker a deal with Botswana which helped win the vote. This move turned the debate on the protection of elephants into one about world trade. Critics accused the U.S. of being swayed by its right–wing domestic hunting lobby.

Sales of stockpiles will not be allowed until scientific monitoring of all African and Indian elephant herds is finished and there is a crackdown on the illegal ivory trade to countries such as China.

Much of the stockpiled ivory comes from elephants that have died naturally.

Ratification is expected later this week.

China says missing Panchen Lama "happy"

The boy recognized by the Dalai Lama as the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism and then placed under house arrest by China in an undisclosed location is "very happy," a Chinese Government spokesman said.

The Dalai Lama's choice has not been seen for several years and the 13-year-old boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, has been named the world's youngest political prisoner by human rights groups.

The boy has been detained since 1995 when the Dalai Lama confirmed him as the next reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.

China has named another boy in his place, and this boy—Gyancain Norbu—was pictured in state media attending the current Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

The exact whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima are secret.

The Beijing appointed head of Tibet's parliament, Raidi, said the boy was living with his family in Tibet.

"He studies well in school. His parents and entire family are happy," Raidi said. The Dalai Lama's choices was "totally null and void and without authorization and arbitrary," he added.

Tibet's exiled leaders refuse to accept China's Panchen Lama choice as legitimate and have called for the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.

One reason why the Panchen Lama is so important in Tibetan religion is the fact that he is charged with selecting the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

The current Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and now lives in exile in Dharmsala, India.