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This workshop was held the 5th to 8th August 2002 in Bogor, Sumatra,
Indonesia, and is a cooperative effort between the PHKA, the program
partnership, the Indonesian Law Institute for Natural Resources,
and the Advocacy Network for Anti-Poaching and Law Enforcement
Relating to Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants. TTF-STT, under the Sumatran
Tiger Conservation Program umbrella, is the sole sponsor of this
workshop. A total of 140 delegates attended, representing all
conservation areas in Sumatra, all NGOs, all organizations involved
in tiger, rhino and elephant conservation, representatives of
the national and provincial judiciaries, police forces, customs
and excise, armed forces and local government.
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Confiscated
tiger skins ready to be burned.
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Primary objectives of the workshop included the collation of
a database on crimes relating to tigers, rhinos and elephants
during the last five years - including poaching, trading and illegal
possession of the three priority species. Successes and failures
of the legal process in relation to these crimes will be reviewed,
followed by working group discussions to identify the weaknesses
in current mechanisms. Final working groups will focus on developing
recommendations for implementation, involving across-the-board
cooperation between government agencies and NGOs in the development
of a strategy to ensure these crimes are taken seriously.
Finally, as a means of generating media interest, a collection
of confiscated and donated stuffed tigers will be publicly burnt
on a pyre by the Minister of Forestry, simultaneously with the
press-release of a joint declaration between the government and
participatory NGOs to cooperate to end the wildlife crime crisis
in Indonesia.
Law Enforcement of Wildlife Crimes.
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Confiscated
tiger skins being burned.
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At the present time it is well recognized that while poachers
of tigers are often apprehended in the field, theirprosecution
and sentencing in courts is a rare occurrence. Deficiencies have
been identified at all levels,from lack of funds in the support
of apprehension and processing, the misapplication and utilization
of current laws by prosecutors, improper methods of evidence procurement,
to the transfer of responsibility between forest rangers and local
police. Behind all this is a national indifference to wildlife
crimes in general, which is reflected throughout the criminal
justice system and police forces. Currently, many of these weaknesses
are being addressed at a national level. However at the local
level the problems are as simple as the lack of supporting funds
to insure that apprehensions and evidence seized by forest rangers
are actively processed by local police to the point of judicial
acceptance.
The protection unit model developed by the Rhino Conservation
Program has an integrated component that focuses on providing
support funds for forest police rangers. This mechanism, based
on the release of a standard amount of financial support per suspect,
only following receipt of P21 documents, has proven successful.
Completion of the P21 form denotes official acceptance of the
case by local courts based on satisfactory evidence and a clear
charge according to stated laws.
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