Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Activists from the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JANN) staged a rally on Monday, calling for an end to animal cruelty in the form of traveling monkey performances, locally known as topeng monyet.

Demonstrators attending the rally at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle said they were disturbed by the exploitation of monkeys for money in the city.

"Topeng monyet is a form of animal torture. These shows also disrupt order as they can easily scare people. This is just another form of begging and this has to be stopped using an ordinance that criminalizes begging. Some see this show as fun but this involves torture to animals," JAAN's spokesman, Benfika, said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The JAAN also called on the city government to round up topeng monyet practitioners and bring them to justice.

"We want the Jakarta administration to rid the city of topeng monyet. The city administration can begin by conducting raids and issuing official decrees or bylaws," Benfika said.

Topeng monyet is a popular roadside attraction in the city, and is often used to entertain children for their birthday parties.

One of the most popular attractions in topeng monyet involves a monkey, usually called Sarimin, that carries a bag and goes to the market. The show also requires Sarimin to ride a miniature wooden horse, and take a stroll with an umbrella. At other times, the monkey also puts on lipstick and finally dons a monkey mask.

Activists maintain that monkeys trained for topeng monyet shows are usually subjected to physical punishment if they fail to perform stunt.

Recently, The Jakarta Post spoke to a topeng monyet handler, who admitted that training monkeys to do their stunts is a difficult task.

The monkey trainer said that he rents a monkey for Rp 20,000 (US$2.24) a day from his employer, who usually owns a dozen monkeys ready to be trained for riding bicycles, wearing masks and even mimicking Muslim prayers.

The monkey trainer, who wished to remain anonymous, said that it usually took him between three and six months to train a monkey.

"It will take more than two weeks just to make them able to stand," he said, while showing off his monkeys that were caged in small rusty cages near his shack in Prumpung.

Another area where trainers can find monkeys for topeng monyet is Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta. Some of the monkeys here are also offered for sale. A monkey that is able to stand up can sell for Rp 250,000.