A coalition of animal rights activists gathered outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday to protest the decision to reject a proposed bill banning the trade of dog and cat meat. Karin Franken, coordinator of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) Domestic Indonesia, criticized the House Legislation Body’s (Baleg) decision, calling it baseless. She also took issue with remarks made by Baleg member Firman Soebagyo from the Golkar Party, who dismissed the proposal as unnecessary.
“We read in the media that one of the Baleg members said, ‘Don’t bother, just remove it, it’s not important,’ and claimed they must protect consumers and traders. This logic is nonsensical,” said Karin outside the House building, as quoted by Kompas.com. She reaffirmed the activists’ determination to push for legislation banning dog and cat meat consumption. “We will not stay silent. We will continue to fight for this,” she added.
The rejection occurred on Monday when Baleg decided not to include the proposed ban in the medium-term 2025-2029 national legislation program, citing cultural practices in certain ethnic communities that still consume dog meat.
Firman defended the decision, stating, “We, the House, of course, are listening to the public will as conveyed by NGOs. However, not all suggestions from NGOs can be included in the long list,” during a Baleg meeting, as reported by Kompas.com. Baleg vice chairman Sturman Panjaitan from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) echoed this sentiment, suggesting that broader animal welfare protections could be discussed instead.
“Don’t use the dog meat trade argument. Animal welfare and protection, including for dogs, can be addressed under that framework,” he said.
Adrian Hane, legal and advocacy manager for Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI), voiced his disappointment, accusing Baleg of prioritizing the interests of dog and cat meat consumers over animal welfare.
“We are raising public concerns about the dog and cat meat trade in Indonesia. Numerous cases have been reported, and most countries worldwide have already banned this practice,” Adrian said. He urged Indonesia to follow South Korea’s lead, which outlawed the consumption of dog and cat meat in 2024. “South Korea enacted the ban this year, even though nearly 85% of its population consumed dog meat,” he added.
Hardiyanto Kenneth, an animal rights activist and member of Jakarta’s Legislative Council from PDI-P, also criticized Baleg’s decision.
“As an animal lover, I find it puzzling and strongly oppose the removal of the bill banning domestic animal cruelty and the dog and cat meat trade,” he said on Thursday, as quoted by Detik.com. “I just question, what’s going on? How could this be removed?”
Hardiyanto pledged to continue advocating for a regulation in Jakarta that aligns with existing laws to prohibit dog meat consumption.
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