I would add to what you said in that there is not just a severe lack of concern, but also a severe ignorance about what are native species, be it trees and plants to fish and birds. Guppies, mynahs, rain trees, house crows, tilapia, carp, sucker catfish, red-eared sliders, luohans..... most people assume these are native.
It's good to find hobbyists interested in native wildlife, but it's not quite right to see a link between being 'ecologically safe' and keeping only native species. I don't think it matters much what species (from anywhere in the world) one keeps, as long as irresponsible acts like releasing the animals in the wild are avoided. For local species, the catch is that many (e.g. harlequins, Systoma hexazona, local loaches and barbs) are endangered locally (and catching in the reserves IS prohibited and unsustainable), so we rely on sources from populations in Malaysia or Indonesia. I don't think you will find any place selling native species (as in wild-caught). It's best to just buy their stock (whether farmed or imported) to set up a tank of 'local' species. For plants, genera native to these parts (and available in better LFS or farms) include Blyxa, Limnophila, Crypts, java moss, java fern, hairgrasses, Nymphaea, Nymphoides and Eriocaulon.
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