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AKARTA: The Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) says the Indonesian government is too slow in taking legal action against the killers of orangutans in Kalimantan even though the slaughter has been taking place at oil-palm plantations belonging to Malaysian companies around Kalimantan.

“Sometimes the government evacuates the animals out of the areas but delays punishing the perpetrators. Our organization doesn’t have the authority to enforce the law against the killers,” Daniek Hendarto of COP said as quoted by tempo.co.

COP has therefore challenged the government to firmly implement the law and expel Malaysian oil-palm plantation companies.

“It’s sad to think that the government seems to be powerless facing these companies,” said Daniek.

COP recorded that 75 percent of oil-palm plantations in Kalimantan belong to Malaysian companies.

According to the organization, these companies had burned Kalimantan’s forests to clear the areas for the plantations, which resulted in the conflict involving orangutans.

Losing their sources of food and habitats due to land clearance, orangutans are forced to enter plantations and villages with the animals being slaughtered as a result.