The Indonesian goverment and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry must enforce the law and prosectue individuals or companies who murder, injure, torture, maim, abuse, keep as pets or trade orangutans.
Orangutans are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits any international trade in these primates.
Under Indonesian law, orangutans are classified as protected, which forbids capturing, killing, possessing and trading these species. Penalties for breaking the law can total up to IDR100,000,000 (US$10,455) in fines and up to five years of imprisonment.
Ever since the 1970's there have been more than 2,500 confiscations of illegally held orangutans in Indonesia. The first conviction for illegally keeping an orangutan happened in West Kalimantan in 2010 and that resulted in a local man from Sumatra being sentenced to one year in prison and fined IDR1,000,000. It's believed that the orangutan in his possession was poached from the Gunung Leuser National Park.
In April this year four men were sentenced to eight months in prison and were fined IDR 20,000,000 each for killing 20 orangutans. The punishment and fine are considered to be far too lenient by environmental and animal rights groups and implies that the Indonesian court system does not take their own laws seriously.
Violation of these laws must lead to prosecution which results in maximum prison sentences and maximum fines. It's a crime for people and organisations who commit atrocities against the orangutans to go unpunished.
ENFORCE THE LAW for the national treasure of Indonesia!
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/nvironment/men-jailed-for-8-months-for-killing-20-orangutans/512422
