RE: [alloprimate] Thai govt promises to return orangutans after DNA test

[Guest guest]

Dear list,

 

 

 

This article published by the Jakarta Post sounds very promising; however it

is unfortunately far from the truth.

 

 

 

1. It was at first not the Thai government that wanted the DNA test

done, however due to pressure from different NGO's and the Indonesian

authorities it was concluded that this test would clarify the origin of the

orangutans. Samples still have to be taken from the animals, and the cost of

the DNA test will be paid by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, not

the Thai authorities. The test will not show whether the orangutans

originate from Indonesia, but will show whether they were born at

Safariworld or not.

2. Until today the Thai authorities have not promised the repatriation

of the orangutans when found illegally obtained. The decision to return the

animals or not is in the hands of the Director General of the Department of

National Parks and the minister of Natural Resources. To date no official

statement has been made whether to return the animals to Indonesia or not.

3. Safariworld has had over a hundred orangutans for several years, and

this was known to officials of the Department of National Parks for some

time. Still no action against any officials has been taken.

4. A small group of five to six illegally obtained orangutans are still

kept at Lopburi Zoo in Thailand and still no action has been taken by the

authorities there either although a written complaint was send to the DNP

several months ago.

5. Four more orangutans were confiscated at different raids in Thailand

last year. The animals are still kept at a Wildlife Breeding Center, and no

action has been taken to repatriate these animals. One has already died

since its rescue.

6. The kick-boxing shows of orangutans is unfortunately not a practice

solely in Thailand, At zoos in Indonesia and Malaysia this practice is also

quite common and should be stopped soonest possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Edwin Wiek

 

Wildlife Friends Thailand

 

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (TH)

 

 

 

_____

 

emmanuelle.grundmann [emmanuelle.grundmann]

Thursday, September 02, 2004 23:17 PM

primate-science-admin; alloprimate

[alloprimate] Thai govt promises to return orangutans after DNA

test

 

 

 

Thai govt promises to return orangutans after DNA test

The Jakarta Post, August 20th, 2004

 

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.

 

 

 

 

alloprimate will not allow negative comments about individuals,

institutions, or organizations.

 

*Bushmeat Awareness Group*

<BushmeatAwarenessGroup>

 

Please use the address <alloprimate > when posting to

alloprimate.

 

Replies to alloprimate posts automatically set the address field to

<alloprimate >. Be CAREFUL with personal replies!