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Indonesia Primate Day 2025: Justice, Hope, and a Future for Macaques

On Indonesia Primate Day 2025, we’re coming together to address something that often goes unnoticed: the cruelty macaques face on social media. While animal abuse content is widespread online, macaques are among the most abused, with the cruelty ranging from seemingly harmless content to disturbing and deliberate acts of violence.


Macaques are a vital part of Indonesia’s primate biodiversity. These intelligent and social animals play a key role in ecosystem health, from dispersing seeds to aiding forest regeneration. As an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage, their populations have declined over the years, and macaque species like the long-tailed macaque are now classified as endangered. Their protection has never been more urgent.


In recent years, a few notable cases of deliberate macaque abuse filmed for profit have resulted in legal action and sentences. While justice has been served in some cases, it is clear that existing laws are insufficient. The rise of social media has opened a new avenue for animal abuse, making it easier for perpetrators to exploit and share such content for profit. Due to their abundance in Asia, Macaques are often more accessible and are the most common primate species kept as pets in social media content. SMACC has found that pig-tailed and long-tailed macaques are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. In this blog, we explore these cases and call for stronger regulations to prevent cruelty and hold offenders accountable.



Keeping macaques as pets is common in many Southeast Asian countries due to weak legal protections. (Photo credit: ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf)
Keeping macaques as pets is common in many Southeast Asian countries due to weak legal protections. (Photo credit: ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf)

In 2022, Asep Yadi from Tasikmalaya was sentenced to three years in prison for torturing a baby macaque and trafficking protected wildlife. Investigations revealed his horrifying acts, including tying and suspending a monkey over a river, sealing them in a jar with crabs, and even drilling their hands - all filmed and sold as part of an international trade in animal torture videos. Asep’s cruelty spanned years, profiting from the suffering of defenseless animals.


In September 2022, M. Ajis Rasjana, also known as Ajis, was reported for filming and selling videos of a long-tailed macaque - he called Mini - being tortured. Following a tireless effort by animal protection groups like Lady Freethinker, Action for Primates, Jakarta Animal Aid Network, and BBC journalists, Ajis was sentenced to eight months in prison in February 2023. After two years of rehabilitation at a rescue center, Mini was released back into the wild, offering hope that with the right support, macaques like her can regain their freedom.

In 2024, a government worker from Singkawang, Romi Sasmita, was arrested for producing and selling 58 videos of macaques being abused. Romi faces charges under the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Health Law and the Criminal Code (KUHP), with a potential sentence of up to nine months in prison.


The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the Tasikmalaya Police arrested two suspects for abusing endangered primates, specifically long-tailed macaques and lutungs. (Photo credit: tim tvOne/Denden Ahdani)
The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the Tasikmalaya Police arrested two suspects for abusing endangered primates, specifically long-tailed macaques and lutungs. (Photo credit: tim tvOne/Denden Ahdani)

These convictions demonstrate progress but also expose the urgent need for more comprehensive laws and consistent enforcement. The discrepancies in sentencing reflect gaps in the legal framework, including a lack of specific legislation addressing online animal cruelty and limited recognition of its severity. Despite having laws in place, Indonesia’s animal welfare and protection regulations are considered weak, earning an “E” rating from the World Animal Protection assessment. 


While Indonesia’s Law No. 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions (UU ITE) aims to regulate harmful online content, it does not specifically address animal cruelty or abuse. This gap hinders effective action against the growing issue of online animal cruelty. Strengthening the UU ITE law by explicitly criminalizing the sharing of animal cruelty content is crucial to holding offenders accountable and preventing future abuses. Closing this legal loophole would provide better protection for animals, ensure responsible use of online platforms, and ensure perpetrators face appropriate consequences.

Despite some successes, very few cruelty videos lead to a rescue. Verifying videos and tracking down perpetrators or their locations can be complex and resource-intensive. Public reports play a critical role in initiating investigations, which are essential for uncovering and addressing such cases. These reports, combined with the support of local organizations, offer hope for justice. However, many cases still go unnoticed or unpunished, highlighting the urgent need for stronger regulations, more effective enforcement, and continued public vigilance.


Watch AfA CONNECT 2024: SMACC - Catching Online Cruelty Offenders in the Real World to learn how public reports can lead to investigations and, ultimately, successful rescues.


AfA Connect 2024:  SMACC - Catching Online Cruelty Offenders in the Real World.




Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), was formed to bring organizations together to understand, address, and end the proliferation of animal cruelty content on social media platforms. SMACC shines a light on the hidden world of animal cruelty content in all its forms and leads the way in eradicating it. By collaborating with social media platforms, SMACC works to end the availability, spread, and profitability of such content, ensuring that there are no benefits to its creation or promotion. This coalition was born out of numerous inquiries from the public regarding cruelty content and the lack of significant progress by organizations working in isolation to combat this issue.


While the path to change is not easy, Mini’s rescue and release offer hope and remind us that action can lead to progress. Through SMACC and its collaborations with local organizations, experts, and social media platforms, we are committed to addressing and ending the online abuse of animals. By raising awareness, advocating for stronger regulations, and empowering the public to take action, we can create a safer, cruelty-free future for Indonesia’s macaques and all animals in need of protection. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.


Support SMACC’s vital work by donating today, every contribution helps protect vulnerable animals and bring justice to those who harm them.





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