Do Conservative party donors have links to the illegal timber trade?

 It is surprising that this government with "global reach" has barely whispered criticism of the junta which has taken over Myanmar and locked up Nobel winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Has the ICIJ highlighted the reason?

Myanmar’s teak is sometimes called the “King of Woods.” It’s dense, weather-resistant, and prized by luxury yacht builders and high-end furniture makers.

In recent years, it has also become a vital revenue source for the brutal military regime that took power in Myanmar in 2021.

Our latest investigation, Deforestation Inc., has uncovered how the trade in this valuable timber continues, despite sanctions and bans put in place by governments around the world attempting to economically throttle the junta.

Shipments of teak have been sold through intermediaries and wound up in places as far afield as Europe, New Zealand and the United States. Some of the companies involved in this trade boast green labels certifying their operations or products.

What’s more, our reporting shows that authorities are often failing to enforce rules that would stop the trade.

The upshot: a brutal military regime raises cash through dealings with Myanmar teak traders, and Western firms continue to market themselves as “sustainable” while selling products made with Myanmar teak.

“Forest exploitation is still going on,” said Win Myo Thu, a environmentalist and forestry expert from Myanmar who assisted the ousted democratic government as a forestry consultant. Meanwhile, he said, the military regime is using teak profits “to crush democratic forces.”