In Australia environmental groups have organised street theatre and extensive television broadcasting which tell the tale of the large scale destruction of unique primary rainforests by Japanese enterprises. In Canada some 800 environmental groups will launch a campaign on the deforestation in Malaysian Sarawak, in which also the role of Japan will be highlighted. In several countries telephone and fax blockades of the Mitsubishi offices will be organised. The environment groups are especially irritated by the fact that, notwithstanding worldwide criticism and concern, Japanese enterprises have not reconsidered their logging and hardwood trading policies. In some areas the pace of logging has even been accelerated.
Japan is the largest logger overseas and holds the largest share in the hardwood trade.
Countries like Thailand, The Philipinnes and some of the Indonesian islands have already lost their former forest wealth, mainly due to Japanese involvement. Now Japanese trading houses focus their attention on the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. In the scramble for raw material and quick money there the felling of century old bio-rich forest by heavy machinery takes place at a 24 hour schedule, using floodlights at night time. At present Sarawak is suffering from an average logging rate of 2700 sq. It has been calculated that within 5 to 7 years Sarawak will have lost its primary forests.