Activists mobbed by Pramuka market vendors

JAKARTA: Traders in protected animals and birds at the Pramuka market, East Jakarta, attacked three activists from ProFauna Indonesia, a non-governmental organization concerned with wildlife conservation, in front of officials from the city's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and police officers.

"We were hit and kicked by the vendors and thugs because the BKSDA officials failed to protect us as complainants," said Hardi Baktiantoro, the coordinator of ProFauna's Jakarta office, who was also attacked by the crowd.

The assaults happened on Wednesday when the three activists were accompanying police during a raid on the market and found some protected animals on display, he said on Thursday.

The crowd turned ugly especially after the BKSDA officials pointed at the ProFauna activists, implying that they were the ones who had reported the presence of the animals to the officials and the police, Hardi said.

The protected animals trade is a very lucrative business in Indonesia, which makes it all the harder to put a stop to, Hardi said.--JP