Justice for Baby Elephant, Agam

PETISI keadilan untuk Gajah Agam

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#Justice4Agam

 Justice for agam video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip3F41m0iJo&feature=youtu.be

Indonesia version

KEPADA YTH

1. PRESIDEN RI, IR. H. JOKO WIDODO

2. MENTERI KEHUTANAN RI, SITI NURBAYA

Agam - bayi gajah Sumatera berusia 2 tahun dinyatakan mati pada 26 Oktober 2014 akibat cedera tulang panggul yang dideritanya sejak pertengahan Mei 2014. Agam adalah gajah yatim piatu yang dirawat di PKG Saree, Aceh Besar. Karena dianggap tidak bisa sembuh dan akan mengalami nyeri (pain) berkepanjangan, Dr. Christopher Stremme dari Vesswic, NGO yang membantu merawat Agam, merekomendasikan agar bayi gajah ini dieuthanasia.

Prihatin dengan kondisi Agam, sejumlah relawan dengan inisiatif sendiri berkunjung ke PKG Saree untuk membantu terapi dan menciptakan kondisi lingkungan yang lebih sehat untuk Agam atas sepengetahuan BKSDA Aceh.

Berdasarkan kesaksian para relawan, pengamatan terhadap foto-foto yang dirilis laman Facebook Vesswic dan Save Bona (yang juga dimiliki Vesswic) dan dari sumber-sumber lain, serta berdasarkan pembicaraan langsung maupun via telepon dengan pihak-pihak yang terkait dalam perawatan Agam, maka ditemukan hal-hal sebagai berikut:

1. Agam mengalami luka memanjang yang cukup dalam pada kulit bagian bawah hingga ke samping perut akibat penggunaan sling (alat bantu berdiri) yang terbuat dari tali kasar. Sling yang digunakan juga berat sebelah (terlalu condong ke belakang) sehingga semakin memperberat beban pada kaki yang cedera. Foto Agam dengan sling yang kurang layak dan berat sebelah dipasang di halaman FB Vesswic.
2. Kondisi kandang kurang higienis sehingga berbahaya bagi Agam yang sedang mengalami luka terbuka, dan menimbulkan infeksi seperti tercatat pada laporan otopsi. Cara memindahkan, membangunkan dan membaringkan Agam yan menimbulkan jerit kesakitan dengan ditarik belalai, telinga dan ekornya.
3. Dalam keadaan cedera, Agam dibiarkan pada posisi berdiri diikat sling selama berjam-jam melebihi kemampuannya sehingga mengalami kelelahan yang tidak perlu yang mungkin semakin membahayakan kesehatannya. Ini dilakukan berulang kali.
4. Dalam keadaan cedera Agam dibiarkan berjalan-jalan tanpa alat bantu sehingga diduga semakin memperburuk kondisinya.

Sehari-harinya, Agam dirawat oleh pihak PKG Saree dan oleh seorang dokter dari BKSDA Aceh.

Gajah merupakan satwa yang dilindungi oleh negara berdasarkan UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 Tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya. Sumpah kedokteran hewan menyebutkan bahwa seorang dokter hewan harus melakukan  pengabdian kepada kemanusiaan melalui peningkatan kesehatan hewan dan memberikan pertimbangan utama untuk kesehatan pasiennya. Profesi perawat satwa pun telah disumpah untuk melakukan perawatan yang sebaik-baiknya terhadap hewan dan tumbuhan. Kami memandang apabila semua pihak tidak arogan dan tertutup, mau bekerjasama tanpa egois, dan cepat penanganan, mungkin saja Agam tidak meninggalkan kita secepat ini atau mungkin dapat bertahan hidup seperti gajah Medo dan Mintra di Thailand yang mengalami kasus mirip seperti Agam, atau setidaknya meninggal dalam kondisi lebih baik sesuai prinsip-prinsip kesejahteraan hewan.

Karena itu, kami menuntut kepada Presiden Republik Indonesia Joko Widodo dan Mentri Kehutanan Siti Nurbaya untuk:

1. Membuka rekam medis sejak Agam sakit hingga meninggal kepada publik dan media massa karena Negara sebagai pemilik Agam adalah Negara Republik di mana kekuasaan tertinggi ada pada Rakyat. Dengan kata lain, Agam adalah milik dan kebanggaan Rakyat Indonesia, bukan milik aparat pemerintah apalagi swasta atau yayasan manapun juga.
2. Mengaudit dan memperbaiki manajemen dan kelayakan fasilitas dan kemampuan SDM PKG Saree dan BKSDA Aceh sebagai pihak yang bersentuhan dan bertanggungjawab langsung terhadap kesejahteraan Agam.
3. Mengevaluasi kembali kerjasama pemerintah dengan Vesswic yang diduga tidak memiliki itikad baik sebagai manusia dan dokter terhadap hewan dengan membiarkan poin satu terjadi atas sepengetahuannya dengan alasan tidak ada otoritas. Sebagai rekanan pemerintah tentu tidak sulit bagi Vesswic untuk ikut membantu atau minimal memberi sekadar saran perbaikan. Jika relawan yang juga tidak punya otoritas bahkan bukan rekanan pemerintah dapat membantu memperbaiki kondisi lingkungan dan sling Agam, mengapa Vesswic tidak? Pemerintah layak memiliki rekanan yang punya empati lebih dalam terhadap satwa Indonesia
4. Mengundang dokter hewan yang berkompeten, netral, pemberani dan mandiri (tidak punya keterikatan dan kepentingan apapun  baik di masa lalu maupun sekarang dan tidak memiliki rencana kerjasama ke depan dengan  BKSDA ACEH,  Vesswic, dan pihak penuntut) untuk memberi second opinion atas kasus Agam dengan mempertimbangkan dokumentasi dari para pihak termasuk dari para relawan dengan berimbang.
5. Melindungi para relawan yang  bersedia bersaksi agar tidak  diintimidasi oleh pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.

Kami tuntut keadilan untuk Gajah Agam. Ia tidak bisa bersuara dan berbicara sejak masih hidup apalagi ketika sudah mati. Sebagai manusia yang diberi amanah menjadi rahmat bagi semesta alam, sebagai pelayan rakyat, dan sesuai UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 Tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, Presiden RI Joko Widodo dan Mentri Kehutanan RI Siti Nurbaya sudah selayaknya memenuhi tuntutan ini.

ENGLISH VERSION

PETITION FOR APPEAL TO BRING JUSTICE TO BABY ELEPHANT AGAM

His Excellency Ir. Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia

The Honorable Ms Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Forest and Environment

Agam, a two-year-old baby orphaned Sumatran elephant, was pronounced dead on 26th October 2014 due to a fractured tibia that he had had since mid May 2014. Agam was an orphaned elephant taken care at the Elephant Conservation Center Saree, Aceh Besar. Considered to be incurable and to experience pain for a long term, dr. Christopher Stremme from Vesswic, an NGO which was assisting in caring for Agam, recommended that this baby elephant to be euthanized.

Concerned about this situation, a group of volunteers initiated to visit Saree to assist the care of Agam by giving him a therapy and provide a healtier environment to help the healing with the knowledge of BKSDA (Natural Resources Conservation Center) Aceh.

Based on what the volunteers witnessed, photos released on Vesswic and Save Bona The Elephant (also supports Vesswic) Facebook fanpages, and other sources, also based on the direct conversation via telephone with the parties involved in the caring of Agam, some findings are discovered as follows:

1. Agam had pressure wounds and rope burns in the inguinal axillary and lower abdominal region due to the sling ( Agam worn it to help him stand) which was made of rough rope. The way the sling was put on was also wrong that caused Agam to lean back, creating more weight on his injured hind leg. The picture of Agam with this awful sling was posted on Vesswic's facebook fanpage, which suggested that Vesswic knew about this first point.
2. Agam's stable itself was dirty, which was ompletely unfavorable and lead to infection in his open wounds as recorded in the autopsy. The methode of moving, helping him stand up and laying him down caused terrible pain to him, making him scream in pain as his ears, trunk and tail were pulled in the process.
3. Being severely injured, Agam was often let to stand on his sling for many hours beyond his capability and this led to extreme exhaustion which was detrimental to his health condition. This happened over and over again.
4. Unable to walk properly due to his injury, Agam was let to wander on foot without any mobility aids, which was suggested to have worserned his injury.
5. Agam was looked after daily by the caregivers and a resident vet (from BKSDA Aceh) at Elephant Conservation Center Saree. 

Elephants are protected by the state according to Act No 5 of 1990 on the conservation of biological resources and their ecosystems. A vet has made an oath to dedicate their life in humanity through the improvement of animals' health and prioritize the health of their patients (animals). The animal caregivers also have made an oath to give the best care to the animals and plants. We believe that, had all parties involved in Agam's care not been arrogant and closed and been willing to cooperate, and had the intensive care been carried out immediately as soon as Agam had fallen, he would have survived just like Medo and Mintra, the elephants in Thailand who had almost the same case as Agam. Or at least Agam would have passed away pain free according to the principles of animal's well-being.

For the reasons stated above, we appeal Mr Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia and Ms. Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Forest and Environment to:

1. open to the public  and mass media Agam's medical record since he fell ill and died since Agam belonged to the State and as the owner of Agam. And the highest power in the state is the Indonesian people. In another word, Agam belonged to the people and and the pride of the people. Agam was not owned by the government beaurocrats, any private institution or foundation.

2. audit and improve the management and the facilities as well as the skills of the human resources at Elephant Conservation Center Saree and BKSDA as the parties involved in and responsible for the well-being of Agam.

3. evaluate the partnership between the Indonesian government and Vesswic as the latter does not seem to possess favorable attitude towards animals by having let point 1 above happen despite knowing it with reason of not having the authority to interfere. As the partner of the government, it is understood that they would not have difficulty assisting or at least giving advice. At the same time, the volunteers who do not have cooperative agreement with the government managed to make some safe harnesses for Agam and to improve the condition of his stable. Why did Vesswic not do what they did? The governement should have a partner who really cares about and empathize with the animals/wildlife in Indonesia.

4. invite more competent vets who are objective, brave and independent (unbound from and have no other past or present interests, and have no plan to establish a cooperative relationship with BKSDA Aceh, Vesswic and the plaintiff) to give second opinion on the case of Agam upon considering all the documents released by all the parties involved in the field.

5. protect the volunteers who are willing to testify from those who might intimidate them.

WE APPEAL TO YOU TO BRING JUSTICE FOR AGAM. He could not voice for himself even when he was still alive. Human beings are given mandate to be the blessings for all creatures in nature, and as the servants to the people of Indonesia as stated in  Indonesia's Act No 5 of 1990 on the conservation of biological resources and their ecosystems, President of Republic Indonesi Ir. Joko Widodo and Minister of Forestry and Environment Ms Siti Nurbaya must respond to this appeal.

Indonesia Sahabat Gajah    Contact the author of the petition