The Jakarta Post 28 Aug 18;
The Yogyakarta Police are considering punishing three officers who were photographed standing on top of a dead whale shark that was stranded on a beach in Parangkusumo.
The photo, which shows the officers posing with their fists raised, was uploaded by television host Robby Purba on his Instagram account.
In the picture, two officers stand on the back of the whale shark’s carcass, while one officer squats on its head.
The picture sparked outrage among netizens and animal lovers, who claimed that what the officers did was inappropriate.
The Yogyakarta Police offered an apology on its official Twitter account @PoldaJogja following the protests.
“Regarding the incident of our three officers who were caught on camera climbing on the top of a dead whale shark, we apologize. There was no specific intent behind the incident,” it said.
Yogyakarta Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Yulianto said the police's internal affairs division had launched an investigation into the officers' conduct.
“We’re currently determining what kind of punishment is appropriate for them,” he said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com, adding that the officers deeply regretted their action.
Early on Monday morning, a fisherman found the 4-meter whale shark stranded on the beach.
The animal was still alive at the time it was found by the fisherman but died within an hour.
Yogyakarta Water Police arrived at the scene in the afternoon to help the Yogyakarta Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) retrieve samples from the fish, as well as to bury it on the beach.
Residents flocked to the beach to see the dead fish, as well as to watch the authorities bury it, which took two hours with the help of an excavator. (ris/ipa)
