Fwd: Los Angeles demo 3/12

[Guest guest]

Iaka <iaka wrote:

Thu, 01 Mar 2001 16:58:40 -0800

Iaka

Los Angeles demo 3/12

To:

Reply-to: Iaka

 

Dear Southern California Animal Friends,

 

We are going to hold another demonstration in front of the Korean consulate

in Los Angeles on Monday, March 12th, from 4:00pm to 7:00 pm. Your

attendance would be very welcomed! I will be coming fresh from the Ark

Trust Genesis Awards to participate in the demonstration, so ideally there

will be some media and public interest already stirred up. Once again we'll

be working with Steve Hindi of SHARK and his Tiger-truck, with its four

large video screens on which we will display graphic footage of the Korean

dog and cat meat markets.

 

When: Monday, March 12, 2001, at 4:00 p.m.

Where: in front of the Korean Consulate

3243 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90010

Korean Consulate phone: 213-385-9300

 

For more information, you can contact:

 

Kyenan Kum of International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA), tel: (510)

271-6795, fax: (510) 451-0643, e-mail: iaka

 

Steve Hindi, tel: (630) 640-1889.

 

The goal of the protest is to highlight the Korean Government's failure to

enforce its own Animal Protection Law banning cruelty to animals and the

Ministry of Health Law that bans Dog Meat Stew as a " disgusting food, " not

intended for human consumption. The Korea Animal Protection Society in Korea

and its sister organization, International Aid for Korean Animals in

California, have called for worldwide demonstrations until the Korean

government enforces the laws and ends the dog and cat meat trade.

 

Please come and protest if you can, and bring your friends. Thank you!

 

Sincerely,

Kyenan Kum, IAKA

 

 

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FYI: FACT SHEET

 

Animal Cruelty in Korea

 

Every year, 2.6 million dogs and countless cats are slaughtered and consumed

in South Korea. Methods of slaughter include hanging by the neck, prolonged

beatings with pipes and hammers, and electrocution. Often, cats are boiled

alive, and dogs are routinely blowtorched to remove their fur and to brown

their skin.

 

The myth is that the more pain suffered by these animals, the more tender

and aphrodisiac the meat is. This idea is generated by Korean dog-meat

(boshintang) dealers. Dog-meat stew is not a thousand-year-old Korean

tradition, as dog-meat dealers claim. The commercial trade of dogs for

consumption began in 1980, when a boom in the Korean economy made the

once-scarce " livestock " meats suddenly affordable. At the time, the

dog-meat trade consisted of only a handful of dealers, who, fearing loss of

business, quickly marketed the myth that dog-meat stew is a traditional

" cure-all " health food.

 

Cats are also consumed in S. Korea. Pets and strays are repeatedly

bludgeoned with hammers or placed in sacks, which are then pounded on the

ground. Often, while still alive, the cats are thrown into large pots of

boiling water and cooked with ginger, dates and chestnuts until liquefied to

a brown paste called goyangi soju, or " cat juice, " which dealers claim will

cure rheumatism. Dr. Kim, Sung Yun, a medical doctor and professor

researching rheumatoid arthritis at Hanyang Medical School, said in a

Chosunilbo newspaper article that " cats are absolutely not effective in the

treatment of arthritis. It's a myth. " However, even research such as this

has done little to dispel the myth.

 

Approximately 30 percent of the dogs consumed each year are stolen companion

animals, while the rest are bred by dog " farmers, " individuals who raise

dogs as a side business. Most of the cats consumed each year are trapped in

crude wire cages.

 

The Korean Government has failed to enforce its own 1984 Ministry of Health

law banning dog-meat stew as a " disgusting food, " and its Animal Protection

Law, enacted in 1991, which bans cruelty to all animals. Designating South

Korea as a host of World Cup 2002 sends a clear message that the world

accepts illegal industries and animal cruelty. Shocking new undercover

video documentation of widespread dog and cat torture in flagrant violation

of the laws has incited U.S. humane advocacy organizations to demand an end

to the slaughter and consumption of companion animals in S. Korea.

 

" This is not an issue of 'cultural differences,' " states Kyenan Kum, founder

and director of International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA). " Caring

Koreans and most people worldwide know that no animal should be tortured and

abused. Yet Korean cat and dog dealers are willfully inflicting maximum

pain to dogs and cats for mythical health benefits.

 

" The Korean government recognized the terrible suffering caused by the dog

meat trade when it outlawed dog-meat stew in 1984. Today we need the help of

caring people worldwide to stamp out this abuse once and for all. "

 

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--------------

 

Kyenan Kum

www.koreananimals.org

E-mail: iaka

International Aid for Korean Animals & Korean Animal Protection Society

P.O. Box 20600

Oakland, CA 94620-0600

Tel.: (510) 271-6795, Fax: (510) 451-0643

 

*Print out petitions from www.koreananimals.org/campaign.htm!*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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