Activists dressed in monkey masks and prison clothes wheeled a cart of coconuts to the Thai Embassy in protest against monkey labour in the Thai's coconut industry. —AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Activists protested against monkey labour in Thailand by dressing as monkeys in prison uniforms.
The protest was held outside the Thai embassy on Wednesday (July 17) at noon.
Three animal rights activists wore monkey masks, and were dressed in prison uniforms with prop chains around their necks.
Standing outside the embassy for half an hour, they each held a wheelbarrow full of coconuts with the sign "End Coconut Industry Monkey Labour".
Several policemen were seen present to maintain security in the area, and no arrests were made.
Organised by Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals) Asia, the protest was against the exploitation of monkeys for coconut picking in Thailand.
Peta Malaysia coordinator Xiru Ong said that the organisation had carried out similar activities in Tokyo and Jakarta.
“We have targeted the Thai government for a long time and they have expressed that the practice has stopped.
“But according to our investigations, we found that monkey labour is still done in parts of Thailand,” she said.
Ong added that Peta will continue to push for change and carry out protests in different countries.
One of the activists who preferred to remain anonymous said it was tough to stand in the sun and the wheelbarrow was very heavy.
“I had to take breaks in between and I was sweating a lot under the prison wear, but for these animals, I am willing to take a stand,” they said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, a Royal Thai Embassy official said they were not informed about the protest and neither did the group request to meet with the embassy officials.
