Artists infuse life into poached panther case in Thailand

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Unidentified artists in Thailand are seeking justice by painting graffiti, sketches and pictures of a black leopard poached by an influential business tycoon.

The protest triggered after Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development accused of poaching a rare black panther along with other protected wild animals inside a wildlife sanctuary, was released on bail.

A graffiti against poaching of a black panther in Thailand. /Facebook Photo

The Wildlife and Plant Conservation rangers during a routine patrol caught the businessman cooking the panther meat and skinning a Kalij pheasant, and a barking deer. Later, a DNA test confirmed meat in the soup, relished by the accused was of the hunted black panther.

All the poached animals found at the campsite are protected species under the IUCN and Thailand law, wildlife experts claimed. Police also seized three rifles and 43 bullets from the possession of businessman and his associates.

Karnasuta was arrested on February 5 and later released on bail enraging locals and wildlife activists.

Environmental activists’ claim that public outrage sparked all over the country after law enforcement authorities tried to release the business tycoon with light punishment. “This case is extremely depressing and discouraging to those who are interested in wildlife conservation,” WWF Thailand in a statement to CGTN maintained.

A facebook user shares graffiti drawn by an unknown artist to protest against release of a business tycoon accused of poaching a rare black panther. /Facebook Screenshot

“We hope that the relevant authorities will conduct a thorough investigation and give the strongest penalties allowable by law to any of the suspects who are found guilty.”

Furious over the government’s lackadaisical attitude to prosecute the accused, unknown masked artists started painting black panther’s graffiti, sketches, and memes on the walls across the country to seek justice.

Artists attempt to seek justice is winning massive support from the public for the last few days. Youths took the campaign from street wall paintings to social media wall, they painted the black cross on instagrams, facebook, twitter and other digital platforms to condemn the government's failure to prosecute the accused.

Thai youths are expressing anger over a business tycoon's alleged involvement in killing endangered animals inside protected national park.

Artists are trying to build up a non-violent protest to also highlight Premchai Karnasuta’s company's plan to construct a two-lane highway through the forest known for big cat and elephant habitat.

The 108 km highway that cuts through the forest is a part the Dawei Special Economic Zone project (SEZ) that connects Dawei in the west, through Thailand and Cambodia, to the coast of Vietnam in the east.

Wildlife groups have warned, the highway will reduce the forest cover and also lead to death of endangered animals in road accidents. A group of environmentalists has also got together to provide an alternate route to develop the highway.