A CONSEQUENCE OF ILLEGAL LOGGING
by Antonio C. Antonio
September 5, 2014
A colleague from a
group called “UPlanders” shared this link: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/photo-report-amazon-indian-warriors-beat-strip-illegal-loggers-battle-jungles-future-1464021?utm_medium=social which is
a photo essay published in the International Business Times (IBT). (Incidentally, the UPlanders is an
organization committed to promoting environmentalism and is composed of
academicians and students of environmental science. I am closely identified with the
UPlanders.) The photo essay was reported
by photographer Lunae Parracho who followed the Ka’apor warriors during their
jungle expedition to search for and expel illegal loggers from the Alto Turiacu
Indian territory in the Amazon basin.
The Ka’apor is an indigenous tribe in Brazil.
The photo essay is composed of 14 photographs but for this
article I only used 12… the other 2 photos were omitted to save space in the
photo collage provided in this article.
I also tried to post these photos to what I believe was the chronology
of events --- starting from top left to bottom right.
Photo No. 1: The
image shows as the Ka’apor warriors preparing to for a jungle expedition to
search for and expel illegal loggers. Tired
of what they say is a lack of sufficient government assistance in keeping
illegal loggers off their land, the Ka’apor people, who along with 4 other
tribes are the legal inhabitants and caretakers of the territory.
Photo No. 2: The
Ka’apor warriors crossing a timber/log bridge to the area they suspect illegal
loggers are operating. This timber/log
bridge is crucial as it provides access to the forest area. The photo only shows the Ka’apor warriors
crossing it. Conventional wisdom
dictates that this bridge should be destroyed to leave only a footbridge. Why?... for 2 reasons: (1) To trap the
illegal loggers where they are; and, (2) To discourage the use of this bridge
for either ingress or egress of illegally harvested timber in the future. The IBT report is silent on what was done to
this bridge.
Photo No. 3: Shows
the Ka’apor warriors catching up with the illegal loggers and the subsequent
mauling that ensued. This is where I
start to disagree with the entire proceedings.
I still believe that even illegal logger, no matter how evil they are
perceived to be, should be treated in the most humane fashion. Anywhere in the world, government functions
in a structure where a system of justice exists and people should never take
the law into their own hands… or else we will all live in a chaotic world where
crimes are solved with lawlessness or resolving wrong with wrong methods equals
wrong results. Niccolo Machiavelli once
said: “The ends justify the means.”… this, unfortunately, does not apply to
morality and righteousness-related cases.
Whose moral standard should be followed in a community where wrong is
right? I could not say for certain what
sort of people the Ka’apor tribesmen are… all I know is this sort of behaviour
is akin to savages and have no place in civilized society. In the Philippines, the Commission on Human
Rights will certainly have a mouthful to say about this.
Photo No. 4: Shows
the Ka’apor warriors watching over the captured illegal loggers (with their
hands tied behind their backs). It seems
apparent that the illegal loggers are exhausted and immobile from the beating
they were subjected to.
Photo No. 5: Shows
the illegal loggers being stripped off their pants and footwear. This is an acceptable strategy to prevent any
attempt at escape.
Photo No. 6: Shows a
Ka’apor warrior poking his rifle at the back of an illegal logger. This is again something I disapprove of. The gun looks old and primitive compared to
modern rifles. But, primitive or modern,
guns are guns and guns have a curious way of accidentally firing by themselves. We should take into consideration that this
particular illegal logger is a human being who goes home to and is loved by a
family. If he accidentally gets shot and
dies, some family in Latin America will have to bear the emotional burden of
losing a member of their family.
Photo Nos. 7 and 8: Show an illegal logger (with his hands
tied behind his back) attempting to escape with a Ka’apor warrior hot on his
tail with a stick. The following photo
shows the illegal logger back in captivity with apparently more bruises after
the failed attempt to escape.
Photo Nos. 9, 10 and 11: Show (in sequence) petrol being
poured onto the truck hauler, a Ka’apor warrior about to torch the truck and
the vehicle burning. I am inclined to agree
with this. However, in the Philippine
justice system, there is a possibility that this might weaken a case against
illegal loggers for lack of evidence.
Photo No. 12: Shows a
Ka’apor warrior carrying home a confiscated chain saw. The chain saw is the iconic symbol of logging
(legal or illegal). I just can’t help
but wonder why this chain saw was not burned together with the other logging
equipment. Is it being preserved for
further use? Are the Ka’apor tribesmen
also engaged in logging?... legal or illegal?
When I first saw these photos, my initial reaction was
“bagay lang sa kanila” (they [the illegal loggers] deserved it). But after looking at the photos again, my
views changed to be more balanced. Although
I strongly disagree with the manner by which the Ka’apor warriors treated the
illegal loggers, I still believe illegal logging is bad and illegal loggers should
be punished AFTER DUE PROCESS is followed.
Again, I should highlight that savagery has no place in civilized
society and anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty
in a court of law. But then, I am just a
simple environmental activist… not a lawyer.
And therefore please allow me to say: “To the people still engaged in nefarious
activities such as illegal logging, please be warned that what happened in the
Amazon basin could also happen to you… as a consequence of illegal logging.”
Just my little thoughts…
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