April 16, 2025 | 08:19 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Human Rights (HAM) will soon summon Taman Safari Indonesia to discuss the allegations of exploitation and human rights violations reported by several former Oriental Circus Indonesia (OCI) circus workers. Deputy Minister of HAM, Mugiyanto, said the summons will be issued in the near future.
"We will invite Taman Safari Indonesia regarding the complaints from the victims, and also concerning the recommendations issued by the National Human Rights Commission," Mugiyanto told reporters at the Ministry of HAM office in South Jakarta, Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Mugiyanto referred to the complaints submitted by several former circus workers about alleged exploitation and human rights violations by the owners and/or managers of OCI and Taman Safari Indonesia. Eight victims, mostly middle-aged women, who were present at the Ministry of HAM office, recounted their experiences of being employed as circus performers at OCI since they were children.
They claimed to have suffered various forms of abuse such as being beaten, electrocuted, forced to work while ill, separated from their children after giving birth, and even forced to eat animal feces. The acts of violence, slavery, and exploitation of children they described allegedly occurred since the 1970s by the owners of OCI and Taman Safari Indonesia.
In a written chronology from the victims' legal representatives, it was stated that the owners and/or managers of OCI and Taman Safari Indonesia took and separated around 60 children from their parents. Dozens of children between the ages of 2 and 4 were allegedly employed without pay, not enrolled in school, and not informed of their identities. Mugiyanto did not specify when the ministry plans to summon Taman Safari Indonesia. He only said that the summons will be made as soon as possible to prevent such actions from recurring.
"We will do it as soon as possible. Because one of the efforts is to prevent these current practices from happening again," he said. "So, hopefully in the coming weeks, we can do that."
The victims' legal representative, Muhammad Soleh, urged the government to form a cross-sectoral fact-finding team to investigate this case. He hoped that the Ministry of HAM and the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) would be involved. The victims have also filed complaints of exploitation to the Ministry of PPPA and the National Human Rights Commission.
"According to me, everyone must unite immediately to form a fact-finding team," said Soleh.
The founding family of Taman Safari Indonesia, Hadi Manansang, Jansen Manansang, Frans Manansang, and Tony Sumampouw, were mentioned as the perpetrators in this series of events. When asked by Tempo, Tony denied the exploitation by OCI and Taman Safari.
He said that this issue had surfaced in 1997. "What has been conveyed is completely groundless," said the commissioner of Taman Safari Indonesia via WhatsApp on Tuesday. Currently, Tony also works as an animal trainer and performer at OCI.
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