6 Years Slaughtering Of Orangutans By Rspo Centre for Orangutan Protection opposes Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This position is based on a number of events rescuing orangutan in some palm oil plantation in Kalimantan.   “It has been six years after RSPO was put into operation but forests are still cleared and orangutans are continually killed. Ironically, this was carried out by RSPO members. All criteria on sustainable palm oil and certification process are merely public lies”, said Novi Hardianto, Habitat Program Coordinator.   At the time of 5th Annual Roundtable (RT) meeting in Singapore on 20-22 November 2007, COP was witnessing the evacuation of orangutans from a forest which had just been cleared by IOI Plantation in Antang Kalang – Central Kalimantan. A joint rescue team of Department of Forestry and BOS Foundation then had to remove the orangutans to the remaining forest and asked the company to stop the clearing of forest where the orangutan habitats were present.   On May 4th 2007, COP also witness the evacuation of an orangutan and her infant confined in a wooden box in a warehouse owned by Agro Bukit, Ltd., a subsidiary of Agro Holdings. This orangutan mother was severely injured on her head and according to the plantation workers she was attacked using a hoe so she could be restrained. Between 2006 and 2007 there were at least 50 orangutans had to be evacuated from the concession area of Agro Bukit, Ltd. Although this company is a member of RSPO since August 2006, Agro Holdings still turned a blind eye and a deaf ear in conforming the RSPO’s criteria and they are still clearing the forest. COP had documented the forest clearing this company had carried out in Antang Kalang – Central Kalimantan in August 2008.   “If RSPO is serious on sustainable palm oil, they should have disciplined members which did not follow the criteria. In reality, it is the opposite as RSPO has become a reputation washing machine for companies which clear the forest and kill the orangutan. RSPO is an effective mean to build a green image”, said Novi Hardianto. Centre for Orangutan Protection is also urging other NGOs who are in RSPO to withdraw their support to RSPO.   “There is no more reason to be in RSPO. It is just like helping environmental criminals to wash their hands and faces from the blood of orangutans”   COP opposes RSPO with a unique demonstration in Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia roundabout). Volunteers for COP will bear a stretcher carrying a “dead orangutan” for a funeral procession.