Thai govt promises to return orangutans after DNA test

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia will have to wait for the return of 69 orangutans, it suspects have been smuggled into Thailand, as the Thai government requires them to undergo DNA tests to determine their origin, an activist says.

ProFauna Indonesia international affairs coordinator Hardi Baktiantoro said on Thursday that the Thai government had promised to return the 69 orangutans once it was proven that they originated from Indonesia.

"Based on our observations, we know that the 69 orangutans are from Kalimantan. But the Thai government wants more solid evidence, thus they decided to perform DNA tests to find out their origins," said Hardi.

He said that the Thai government promised to return the orangutans immediately if the DNA test results showed that they were from Indonesia.

He said that the Thai government was willing to compromise as it had ratified the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) -- an international agreement which aims to ensure the trade of wild flora and fauna does not threaten the species.

"Thailand will be the host of the next CITES convention, and it certainly wants to retain its positive image," Hardi told The Jakarta Post.

Earlier on the same day, ProFauna Indonesia held a demonstration in front of the Thai Embassy in Jakarta.

In the demonstration, ProFauna Indonesia demanded that the Thai government take actions against the Safari World management as it failed to prove the orangutans' legal status.

The organization demanded that the Thai government punish officials involved in the conspiracy to capture the orangutans.

It further called on the Thai government to stop kick boxing shows performed by orangutans as it would harm them and lead to premature death.

According to ProFauna Indonesia, there are at least 115 orangutans smuggled into Thailand and held captive at Safari World in Bangkok.

Hardi said that Thailand was not the only country that smuggled orangutans from Indonesia.

"Cambodia is also a country in which smuggled orangutans are rampant. Based on a survey during our visit there, there are approximately 19 orangutans that we suspect are from Indonesia, but we still need to investigate further to determine whether they are really from our country," said Hardi.