CITES 

Throughout our web site and publications you will see CITES mentioned.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between Governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. For further details please visit www.cites.org

It has been the experience to date of Nature Alert and the Born to be Wild Campaign, that CITES has until recently (after the commencement of this campaign and nearly three years since CITES first knew about some of these illegal orangutans) shown little interest in helping to repatriate to their country of origin, illegally held orangutans in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Regrettably, we have found the CITES organisation as a whole, very unhelpful. Only after being publicly named and shamed has it at last become proactive on these orangutan issues. How long this new found concern will last, remains to be seen. We will be keeping a very close watch on CITES.

A message from the children of Central Kalimantan, Borneo to CITES and all those countries withholding orangutans stolen from the forests and people of Indonesia.

In the short term, it will be interesting to see if CITES is successful in assisting with the repatriation of 36 illegally traded orangutans from Cambodia and seven from Malaysia to Indonesia. Watch this space.

Declared in July 2005 as illegally imported into Cambodia, these orangutans (36 in total) continue to be abused and exploited for financial gain by the Koh Kong Safari World. The Government of Cambodia and CITES have allowed this to continue for some 365 days of sheer hell for these orangutans. So, we have the orangutans suffering for all this time, the zoo owner making more money from them - whilst bureaucrats look on and procrastinate.

What can you do?

If you also wish to voice your concern to CITES and encourage them to help rescue these orangutans, write to Mr. Willem Wijnstekers.

His e-mail address is: willem.wijnstekers@cites.org

With this and any other letter you write in support of this campaign, please be polite.

Such has been the level of concern at CITES’ ineffectiveness that the following letter was supported by Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Richard Leakey, and over 40 wildlife organisations. In fairness to all these people and organisations, we should mention their support is for the letter and not necessarily the content of this web site, which has been written and designed since the letter below was signed and sent to CITES.

15^th March 2006

Mr. Willem Wijnstekers
Secretary General
CITES Secretariat
International Environment House
15, chemin des Anemones
CH-1219 Chatelaine – Geneva
Switzerland

Dear Mr. Wijnstekers,

Illegal Trade in Orangutans.

You will be aware of orangutans having been illegally imported into Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Can you please explain to us why CITES has not enforced sanctions against any of the countries concerned for their continued refusal to return the orangutans to their country of origin?

In every case there is not the slightest doubt concerning the illegality of the animals concerned.

We look to CITES to demonstrate its full powers and bring to an end the continued imprisonment and exploitation of these great apes.

We all support Indonesia’s request for the orangutans in question to be returned, and we look to the Secretariat to represent the interests of Indonesia as a member of CITES.

On behalf of the under-mentioned organisations, representing millions of supporters.

Yours sincerely,

Sean Whyte
Chief Executive

Sir David Attenborough

Dr. Richard Leakey.

Professor Colin Groves, School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University

David J. Chivers M.A.,Ph.D.,Sc.D.
University Reader in Primate,  Fellow and Tutor
Biology and Conservation College Lecturer in
Veterinary Anatomy Programme and Veterinary Anatomy
Head, Wildlife Research Group, Director of Studies in
The Anatomy School, University of Cambridge

ProFauna Indonesia
Indonesian Society for Animal Welfare (ISAW)
ProAnimalia InternationalThe Gibbon Foundation
Borneo Orangutan Foundation Indonesia
The Masarang Foundation
The Schmutzer Primate Center
Friends of the Earth Malaysia(FOEM)/Sahabat Alam Malaysia(SAM)
Wildlife Friends of Thailand
The Thai Animals Guardians Association

Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Project
Gail Angela Campbell-Smith,
Scientific Liaison Officer, Sumatran Orangutan Society, Bohorok, Sumatra

RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals)
Nature Alert
Sepilok Orangutan Appeal UK
Environmental Investigation Agency
The Living Rainforest
Advocates for Animals
Animal Defenders International
Animal Concern
International Wildlife Coalition Trust (UK)
International Primate Protection League (UK)
ProFauna UK

Institut Jane Goodall France
AWELY, des animaux et des homes, France
One Voice, France

Centre for Great Apes (USA)
International Wildlife Coalition (USA)
Ecological Internet, Inc. (USA)
Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative (USA and Indonesia)
International Primate Protection League (International)

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation Germany
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation Denmark
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation France
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation Australia
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation Canada

Fans for Nature (Germany)
EDEV - Stichting Een DIER Een VRIEND (Holland)
Rainforest Information Centre (Australia)

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