Activists protest wild animal trade<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso
\nand Theresia Sufa
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta\/Bogor<\/p>\n
Around 70 activists from the organization Pro Fauna Indonesia
\n(Indonesian Wildlife Support) demonstrated on Wednesday at the
\nHotel Indonesia traffic circle, unfurling a five meter by three
\nmeter banner that read \"Stop trade in endangered animals --
\nwildlife belongs to nature.\"<\/p>\n
\"We are holding this demonstration because we are concerned at
\nthe increase in wild animal hunting in Indonesia,\" said Pro Fauna
\nJakarta coordinator Hardi Baktiantoro.<\/p>\n
He added that compared with other countries, Indonesia topped
\nthe list in wild animal hunting and trading.<\/p>\n
\"That is only the legal activities; we haven't included
\nillegal hunting and trading.\"<\/p>\n
Pro Fauna demanded the Ministry of Forestry make genuine moves
\nto curb the trade in endangered species and called on the public
\nto stop buying them.<\/p>\n
The organization discovered that in 2003 interisland trade in
\nendangered species was common.<\/p>\n
Every week, thousands of wild animals such as siamang
\n(Hylobates syndactilus), owa (Hylobates sp), koukang (Nycicebus
\ncoucang) and eagles are taken to the bird market at Jl. Pramuka,
\nEast Jakarta, by bus from Lampung. The animals are then
\ndistributed from Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya to other areas.<\/p>\n
According to Hardi, every month 10 to 20 orangutans were
\nsmuggled from Kalimantan to Semarang seaport and later
\ndistributed to Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali.<\/p>\n
A member of Pro Fauna in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, reported that
\nthe capture of babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) was widespread,
\nalready occurring in Nani Wartabone Bogani National Park, with an
\nestimated 10 babirusa being caught every week and sold in Manado,
\nNorth Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"If the government does not take action, within five to 10
\nyears, Indonesia will lose its endangered animals,\" said Hardi.<\/p>\n
So far, illegal animal traders only get lenient sentence from
\nthe court although they are proven guilty.<\/p>\n
In the recent trial at the Bogor District Court on Monday,
\ndefendant Rudi Hermawan, 27, was only sentenced to six months'
\njail although he was found guilty of rare animal trading, which
\nviolated Law No. 5\/1990 on natural resources and biodiversity
\nconservation.<\/p>\n
The charges carry a punishment of a maximum of five years'
\njail and a Rp 100 million (US$11,765) fine.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors had demanded 10 months' jail.<\/p>\n
The defendant was arrested in a joint action by the Bogor
\nForest Police and East Bogor Police on Nov. 5, 2003, outside the
\nTrio restaurant on Jl. Raya Pajajaran, Bogor, at about 9:30 p.m.
\nwhen he tried to sell a dead Sumatran tiger for Rp 12 million to
\nYayat Syarif Hidayat.<\/p>\n
Rudi claimed he bought it from another man, Amir, who is still
\nat large, for Rp 6.5 million. Amir remains on the Bogor Police's
\nwanted list.<\/p>",
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