Cambodian orangutan scandal

[Guest guest]

The first article/Action Alert appeared in the December issue of IPPL News

and the second in the 16 December issue of the Phnom Penh Post, a Cambodian

newspaper.

 

Article 1: Cambodian Safari Park’s Orangutan Collection

 

IPPL recently learned that there is a huge wildlife theme park on the

island of Koh Khong, Cambodia. The theme park, named Safari World, is 200

meters from the Thailand-Cambodia border. The park has a large collection

of animals and has performing animal shows which feature orangutans and

dolphins. It is associated with the huge Koh Kong International Resort. The

resort’s web site

<http://www.kohkonginter.com/>http://www.kohkonginter.com/ advertises “Thai

massage” and a casino.

 

IPPL does not know if this park is related to the Safari World near Bangkok

that featured performing orangutans in “kick-boxing” shows until the Thai

government closed the show down, as reported in the August 2004 issue of

IPPL News.

 

It is not clear how the orangutans reached Cambodia. Reports reaching IPPL

suggest that the total number of orangutans imported was 22. Orangutans are

listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES). Any international transfer requires prior issuance of an

import permit. Permits cannot be issued for importation of orangutans for

commercial purposes.

 

Cambodian authorities have confirmed to IPPL that no import permits were

issued for orangutans by the authority charged with issuing permits, which

is the CITES Management Authority. Clearly the shipment(s) of orangutans

into Cambodia were in violation of CITES.

 

It also appears likely that powerful and well-connected people in and out

of Cambodia who believe themselves (and sadly may be) above the law are

involved with the safari park. Smuggling of wildlife across the border by

road would be relatively easy. IPPL is seeking information on the ownership

of Safari World, Cambodia and information on the source of the orangutans.

 

The theme park is operated by people with very high “connections,” as was

made obvious by the fact that, at the park’s official opening ceremony on

25 January 2003, Samdech Hun Sen, Premier of Cambodia, made a speech. He

stated,

 

" Today my wife and I, accompanied by our grand-children have come to join

you all to officially inaugurate the Safari World Zoo in Koh Kong. It is

indeed a new achievement among various others that are taking shape in

Cambodia in this time of peace culture. This zoo was built in just two

years but it has proven to us that it is an international standard zoo… "

 

The Cambodian Safari World is promoted on the Web site

<http://www.khmer.org/us/doc/doc944.htm>www.khmer.org/us/doc/doc944.htm

(text unedited):

 

" Koh Kong, Cambodia, is a Cambodian Safari Disney world. Many Tourist

always visit this province because it has so many things to entertain

people. Cambodia has changed so rapidly for last 20 years after the

collapse of Khmer Rouge. Many foreigners have invested so much money with

Cambodian economic. Especially, Cambodian American, Cambodian Canadian,

Cambodian French, and Cambodian Australian have invested a lot of their

time and money to help build Cambodia and Cambodian Economic. We predict in

the future Cambodia will become prosperous like America, Japan, and other

European countries. You can pick up

<http://www.khmer.org/us/eshop/prod/0,1699,prod,173,0.htm>MK vol. 12 from

khmer e-shop if you want to see more about Cambodian Safari World. Please

click here to watch <http://www.angkortech.com/video/mk12.ram>Rang-Utans

kick boxing "

 

If you click, you can watch the sickening spectacle of several minutes of

“kick-boxing,” featuring two fighting orangutans, one dressed in red

shorts, the other in blue.

 

You can also check the web site

<http://www.kohkonginter.com/seaworld.htm>www.kohkonginter.com/seaworld.htm

to read about,

 

" Dolphins & Sea Lion show We will welcome all of you with the most

intelligent of marine creatures that entertain and impress you with their

effortless mastery of the most difficult trick. Excitement with mee shows

[iPPL does not know what “mee shows” are], Birds show, Urang-Utan show. "

 

Sadly, Cambodia was devastated by civil war and outside intervention, and

now understandably struggles to improve life for its people. However, it is

unfortunate that this Buddhist nation tolerates animal abuse and

exploitation. Cambodia has plenty to attract overseas visitors, including

the spectacular monuments at Angkor Wat, Lake Tonle Sap, many lovely

forests, and a host of beautiful and rare animals.

 

CAMBODIAN ORANGUTANS ­ PROTEST LETTERS NEEDED

 

IPPL is disappointed that a country with a long tradition of practicing the

Buddhist religion, which teaches compassion for animals, would be party to

the cruel exploitation of orangutans smuggled into Cambodia. Please send

courteous letters to ALL the officials listed below requesting 1) that

Cambodia implement and enforce the provisions of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), of which it is a member,

with no exemptions made for the rich and powerful; 2) that Cambodia impose

a ban against the degrading exploitation of orangutans in “kick-boxing” and

other shows at Koh Khong Safari World, and (3) that Cambodia confiscate the

orangutans housed at Safari World and send them to Indonesia for

rehabilitation. Postage from the United States to Cambodia costs 80 cents

per ounce.

 

 

His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni

Royal Palace

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

H.E. Mok Mareth

Minister of the Environment

#48, Samdech Preah Sihanouk Tonle Bassac

Chamkar Morn,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

His Excellency Ambassador Roland Eng

Royal Embassy of Cambodia

4530 16th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20011

 

H.E. Chan Sarun

Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries

No 200 Norodom Blvd.

Sangkat Tonle Basak

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

Participation in all letter-writing campaigns by our overseas members is

very important If you live outside the United States, you can find a list

of Cambodia’s embassies around the world at:

<http://www.embassy.org/cambodia/embassies.html>http://www.embassy.org/cambodia/\

embassies.html

 

 

Article 2 - from the Phnom Penh Post about the orangutans. It seems that

the Cambodian wildlife authorities have no concept of what CITES means. You

can't catch a facility with a huge stash of smuggled animals then ask it to

apply for a retroactive permit! There is no doubt that the orangutans were

sent to Cambodia from Thailand which had in turn probably smuggled all or

most of them from Indonesia.

 

Safari World embroiled in animal trafficking controversy, again,

by Liam Cochrane

 

The Safari World animal park in Koh Kong Province - which has a checkered

track record dealing with wild animals - has been asked to apply for

retroactive import permits for 22 orangutans allegedly smuggled in from

Thailand, or risk having the animals confiscated.

 

On November 10, the Cambodian office for the Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), sent a letter

to Ly Yong Phat, the owner of Safari World's parent company Koh Kong

International Resort Casino, inviting him to begin the application process.

 

If there is no response, a second and third letter will be issued before

the animals are confiscated by the Forestry Administration (FA) and

conservation NGO WildAid, said a Cambodian CITES officer, who asked not to

named.

 

In January last year the park received a letter from the Minister of

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chan Sarun, giving a general approval

for the orangutans' import but requested the Forestry Administration and

CITES be involved in transporting and caring for the animals.

 

" After they got the approval they do themselves s they just ignore the

process, " said the CITES officer about the " illegal import. "

 

The orangutans currently perform various tricks for mostly Thai tourists,

including a boxing routine that was recently banned in a similar park

outside of Bangkok.

 

Thai police visited Indonesia in late November to return an unknown number

of orangutans from Bangkok Safari World after authorities found that most

of the park's 150 primates had been illegally acquired from Indonesia.

 

Bangkok Safari World has different owners than the Koh Kong park, said

Nokkaew Weerapun, assistant manager for Koh Kong Safari World, but

conservationists believe the same animal trainers work in both parks.

 

Animal rights activists have appealed to Thai and Indonesian authorities to

look into several cases of illegal importation, including the Koh Kong

Safari World.

 

" The Cambodian CITES authorities have repeatedly confirmed to us that 22

orangutans were smuggled into Cambodia from Thailand earlier this year, "

said a November letter from Edwin Wiek, the Thailand representative of

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.

 

Amphoun Phan, manager of Koh Kong Safari Park, refused to speak about the

orangutans, passing on a message through her personnel supervisor Cha

Veasna: " If you want some information of animals we could not give it to

you. It's up to the president. "

 

Repeated attempts to contact Ly Yong Phat have been unsuccessful, with

staff saying he is overseas but not knowing when he will return or how he

can be contacted.

 

Government and NGO inspectors have been denied access to animals and

information at Safari World in the past, and the vast influence of wealthy

businessman Ly Yong Phat has some government officials reluctant to probe

too deeply into his affairs.

 

The park has a record of controversy, with general manager of the casino,

Ra Phin, confirming to the Post in October that the death of eight

endangered Irrawaddy dolphins had gone unreported for nearly two years.

 

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman

International Primate Protection League

PO Box 766

Summerville, SC 29484, USA

Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

 

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making

exciting discoveries. ~ AA Milne