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View all search resultsPig breeders in Batam ask for protection
In response to an eviction plan and the eradication of pigs in Duriangkang Dam in Batam, Riau Islands, representatives of 26 pig breeders came to the security directorate of Batam Free Trade Zone Authority on Wednesday, asking for protection.
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Pigs are moved to higher ground after their barn was inundated by flood water in Mojolaban, Sukoharjo, Central Java. JP/ Ganug Nugroho Adi (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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n response to an eviction plan and the eradication of pigs in Duriangkang Dam in Batam, Riau Islands, representatives of 26 pig breeders came to the security directorate of Batam Free Trade Zone Authority on Wednesday, asking for protection.
They argue the pigs cannot be slaughtered because they are part of the customary necessities.
The 11 representatives talked to security director Sr. Comr. Budi Santoso and another officer in the Batam authority, Adj. Sr. Comr. Nasrul Liza, refusing to let their pigs be killed with bullets.
The pig breeders are from the Batak ethnic group and one of them, Liasna Boru Siahaan, said breeding pigs was part of tradition for Bataknese people.
“We cannot kill the pigs because they are part of our tradition, they are a must in weddings and ceremonies. We want protection,” Liasna said.
(Read also: Batam to close pig farms after waste contaminates water)
Liasna said breeding pigs had also been the main income for her family of four children.
Another breeder, Timbul Sibuea, said they were told to vacate the area in three weeks. “We want an island where we can breed pigs. We refuse to be removed without any solution. We will fight the plan to shoot our pigs,” he said.
The authority plans to kill 1,800 pigs belonging to the 26 breeders and burn them afterwards. The plan followed concerns about pollution in the Duriangkang water, which is the raw water supply for Batam’s tap water. (evi)
