Indonesian anti-graft protesters on Wednesday demanded an unorthodox punishment for the country’s numerous corruption offenders — coop them up in cells with bird-flu-infected chickens.
The request, which comes as Indonesia is attempting to tackle both endemic graft and an outbreak of avian flu, was made during an anti-corruption rally outside the attorney general’s office in Jakarta.
“We must place corruptors along with bird-flu-infected chickens,” demonstrators shouted, as a mock cell filled with birds and protesters dressed as convicts was unveiled to drive home the message.
Toilet brushes and brooms were also brandished at the rally to encourage officials to “wipe clean” corruption in Indonesia.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who took office in October last year, has launched a crackdown on graft in an effort to lure badly needed foreign investment.
Scores of current and former officials or councillors have been brought to court as part of the drive, but corruption watchdogs continue to list Indonesia as one of the world’s worst offenders. — AFP