The South Africa – Viet Nam Rhino Horn Trade Nexus (PDF ... - WWF

situation at the end-use market: viet nam
On 30 December 2009, a Chinese man allegedly spent CNY430 000 (USD63 000) purchasing two rhino
horns from a Vietnamese dealer at the town square in Pingxiang City bordering Viet Nam. This individual
was subsequently arrested at a toll gate en route to Nanning City, the capital city of Guangxi Province, with
the rhino horns, which were subsequently valued at CNY830 000 (USD121 500) by the Chinese authorities
(Anon., 2010e). The case was heard in Jiangnan District Court in Nanning City on 24 August 2010 where
it was stated by the prosecution that the suspect had admitted to transporting and trading rhino horns on
other occasions. In terms of modus operandi, the suspect would reportedly go to Viet Nam to examine the
rhino horns on offer first and then would transfer money for the sale, taking possession of the horns at
a later date in Pingxiang City. After that, he would transport the horns to Guangzhou Province via Nanning
(Anon., 2010e). This individual was subsequently given sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined
CNY30 000 (USD4400) (Anon., 2010f).
On 19 April 2011, another sensational seizure occurred in China at the exact same toll station in Guangxi
Province: 707 elephant tusks and 32 ivory bracelets, weighing 2237 kg, were uncovered during a routine
inspection of a large truck, and amongst the ivory contraband a single rhino horn was also discovered.
This event constitutes one of China’s largest ivory seizures ever, and the consignment had originated
from Viet Nam (TRAFFIC, 2011). TRAFFIC had previously identified Viet Nam as a suspected “backdoor”
transit route for consignments of ivory to China (Milliken et al., 2009a), but the same is not evident with
respect to rhino horn trade.
Through these seizures it is apparent that some law enforcement effort is being directed at curtailing illegal
trade in rhino horns in Viet Nam, and most horns confiscated at the country’s international airports
have originated in South Africa. Most smugglers have been young or middle-aged males, but not exclusively,
and some individuals have reportedly made multiple trips, indicating that they probably functioned
as regular couriers. Still, none of these cases, appears to have led to broader investigations that
result in the identification of the criminal syndicates and networks that lie behind these transactions.
Further still, it is significant to note that no rhino horns have reportedly been seized coming into Viet
Nam since 2008. Whilst Vietnamese authorities have pointed to this development as evidence that illegal
trade in rhino horn is subsiding in the country (D.Q. Tung, pers. comm., 26 September 2011, CAWT
meeting), the data on rhino poaching losses and the number of Vietnamese nationals participating in
legal sport hunting have progressively increased in South Africa, with the prospect of more horns than
ever moving into trade channels to Viet Nam since 2008. At the same time, South African authorities
have also provided more information than ever before to their Vietnamese counterparts concerning the
names, addresses and details of Vietnamese nationals that are conducting rhino hunts in Africa and
identified as exporters and importers on CITES export permits. These individuals essentially constitute
an obvious list of suspects engaged in rhino horn trade in Viet Nam, but their activities do not seem to
have garnered much oversight attention. And finally, since 2008, the number of arrests of Vietnamese
nationals trafficking in rhino horns in South Africa has been at its highest. African law enforcement
authorities are increasingly of the view that their Vietnamese counterparts are failing to address the
issue seriously and reports of official corruption and complicity in the trade only exacerbate this perception.
For example, a recent AFP article amplified this issue by reporting:
A surge in hunting permit applications from Vietnam has prompted South Africa to suspend issuance
and ask Hanoi to conduct inspections to verify that exported trophies are still in the possession of the
hunters. But senior police man Tran Huy Tu, who had a stroke three years ago and is himself an ardent
user of rhino horn, say such efforts will likely be in vain. “Vietnamese have been going to South Africa
to try and bring back rhino horns for years,” said Tu, who asked that his name be changed to avoid
prosecution. Tu takes rhino horn regularly to counterbalance heavy work pressure and a large drinking
habit. “I can drink a lot of alcohol but I am still sober and strong. I don’t have a headache and I do not
feel tired. It has some effects, I believe,” Tu told AFP. “It’s not legal to buy this stuff, but in Vietnam you
can buy anything with money – or lots of money,” he said (Barton, 2012).
Articles such as this one are clear reminders that governance shortfalls continue to play a role in Viet
Nam’s inability to come to grips with its rhino horn trade problems.
dIscussIoN ANd rEcoMMENdATIoNs
Fake African and Asian rhino horns and a small piece of real horn.
Although much is still to be learned about the resurgent rhino horn trade that inextricably links Africa
with Asia and drives the ever-escalating toll of rhino losses, there can be little dispute that Viet Nam is
the paramount consumer in today’s rhino crisis. It is acknowledged that the situation continues to be
dynamic and evolving, knowledge gaps inevitably remain, and the roles and dimensions of other countries
in the trade (such as China and Thailand) remain somewhat out-of-focus and imprecise at this
point in time. Nevertheless, the growing body of evidence presented in this study leads to the conclusion
that Viet Nam is the world’s leading destination and consumer of rhino horn. Moreover, this highly
unfortunate status is unlikely to change any time soon in spite of longstanding legal prohibitions
outlawing its usage in the country.
This unenviable distinction is the direct result of a complicated mix of contemporary factors. It is no
coincidence that the rhino horn trade revival coincides with Viet Nam’s arrival on the international stage
as a major economic powerhouse generating unprecedented levels of disposable income and supported
by a conspicuous government retreat from intensive economic management. This has given rise to an
energetic globalized period of cultural and social transformation, and a largely unfettered youthful population
fully embracing the attributes of modern technology, luxury and conspicuous consumption as
never before. Not surprising, in this context, the traditional standing of rhino horn as medicine in a highly
ritualized doctor/patient setting of ancient dimensions has been largely superseded by a preponderance
for self-medication and new-fangled uses for rhino horn that is obtained through casual trading channels
and social networks that are often completely divorced from the formalized structure of the traditional
medicine industry itself. A considerable portion of the current trade in rhino horn has morphed into a
product of faddish extravagance – a self-indulgent treatment for hangovers, an aid for sexual excess or
simply a means to be part of a particular “in-crowd” – in which the idea of “rarity” and “expense” mindlessly
trump most other virtues and responsibilities. Another part of the trade remains cynically wrapped
in contentious, unproven – some would argue utterly fraudulent – notions of a medicinal panacea for lifethreatening
disease such as cancer, with the “gift of life” dispensed at record-breaking prices to hapless,
terminally-ill individuals victimized, it seems, by their innate desire to live.
This state of affairs unfolds in the relative absence of serious government commitment for effective law
enforcement and regulatory action in the market place. The lack of political will addressing rhino horn
144 the south africa – viet nam rhino horn trade nexus TRAFFIC 145
karl ammann