On October 22, 2013, an adult male Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus), agedapproximately 20 years old was caught and beaten to death in Peniraman Village, Pinyuh River, Pontianak, West Kalimantan. In the same village, on November 21, 2010, a female Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) was killed by being drowned in a pool.
Last year, in late August 2012, a male Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus), aged approximately 15 years old, died after a coconut tree that he used as a refuge from the people who were chasing him, was burned down. The orangutan was found in a community rubber plantation in the area of Parit Wa’Dongkak, Wajok, Pontianak Regency on August 25, 2012 and was finally evacuated two days later on August 27. He was dying from burns, stress and other complications, which eventually caused death.
In the third quarter of 2011, a massacre of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) by an oil palm company in East Kalimantan was unveiled. However, after a wide exposure on mass media and #SaveOrangutans movement on social media, an official report regarding the slaughter was finally submitted to the Ministry of Forestry and the Police Headquarters of the Republic of Indonesia, leading to investigation, arrests and imprisonment of four staff of the oil palm company found responsible for this crime. They were sentenced in April 2012.
For the record, the law enforcement against the executants of orangutan slaughters in East Kalimantan was accomplished for only the second time in Indonesian history since the passing of the Law No. 5 1990 about the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem. Based on this law, violatorscould be sentenced up to 5 years in prison and fined up to 100 million rupiah.
Meanwhile such crimes have taken place repeatedly, whichmostly resulted in a wide coverage by mass media.But so far, law enforcement on the violators is almost non-existent.
And now cruelty and crime happened again in Peniraman Village. Without proper law enforcement, orangutan cruelty and crimes will continue to happen.
Therefore we, organizations working on the frontline to protect orangutans issuethe following joint statement:
Here by we have expressed our statement. Thank you for your attention.
Editors Note :
For interviews and more information:
1. Karmele LLano Sanches, International Animal Rescue / Yayasan IAR Indonesia.
2. Jamartin Sihite, The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
3. Hardi Baktiantoro, Centre for Orangutan Protection.
4. Ian Singleton, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program.
5. Panut Hadiswoyo, Orangutan Information Centre.
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