Mae Hong Son (TNA) ?In future, no one will be allowed to enter the Salween forest area, the Mae Hong Son governor told TNA.

Entry into the forest will be strictly banned after the police have taken away the illegal logs that have already been seized there, he said.

A list of all illegally felled timber in the Salween forest was completed on Thursday. The army has already moved more than 6,000 logs and over 800 boards to a new storage site in Saraburi.

Once the clearance work has been completed, the Salween forest area will be closed to protect it from further deforestation, the Mae Hong Son governor Supoj Lauwansiri said.

By imposing the ban, the problem of illegal logging and encroachment of forest land should be completely stopped, Mr. Supoj told TNA. From now on any illegal loggers would be severely punished.

Refugees who had previously fled into the Salween forest to hide have also been moved to a new area of Ban Mae Laoon in Sobmuey district of the northern province of Mae Hong Son.(TNA)