Indonesia bans Buffalo from public rallies

Imagine being likened to a dirty, greasy animal. Indonesian President Silo Bambang Yudhoyono need not imagine, because according to thousands of angry protesters, he’s “big, slow, and stupid like a buffalo.” He apparently lacks a sense of humor, as he’s decided to ban all buffalo and similar animals from all future street rallies.

This story begins in Jakarta, the capital and largest city of Indonesia, which has for weeks been rocked by countless protests against President Yudhoyono, who demonstrators claim has failed to deliver on his promise to eliminate corruption within the first 100 days of his term.

Although President Yudhoyono was practically handed his second five-year term back in July 2009, the tide has since then drastically turned against him. This is primarily due to a slew of questionable activities by his administration, including the arrest of two officials from Indonesia’s anti-corruption commission, and a Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout to Bank Century dubbed the ‘CenturyGate’ scandal.

The protests reached a climax during the last week of January when, according to BBC News, a band of rabble-rousers “paraded a water buffalo with Yudhoyono’s name spray-painted on it through the city’s main traffic circle.”

An irate President Yudhoyono immediately fired back by banning all animals from such rallies and issuing a public statement in which he condemned the actions of the protesters as “not ethical or moral.” He added, “And to use a buffalo can violate other regulations, like traffic laws.”

Jakarta police spokesman Colonel Boy Rafli Amar echoed the President’s concerns, saying, “Streets are no place for animal, because they can stray from your hold. And that can cause a disruption to traffic.”

Opposition member Desmond Mahesa from the Gerindra party was quick to rebut the President, claiming that although the President isn’t a dictator, “he too often complains about people’s protests and critiques against his administration.”

Whether or not an official ban will curb the mischievous behavior remains to be seen, especially considering that current restrictions on burning effigies or pictures of the President are widely ignored.


/Weird Asia News/