(CN) Animal rights in China

[Guest guest]

A small voice calling

Feb 28th 2008 | BEIJING

From The Economist print edition

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10766740

 

The stirrings of a new protest movement

 

 

HUMAN rights, or the lack of them, have long been a focus of China's critics

at home and abroad. But a new rights movement-complete with idealistic local

and foreign campaigners-is stirring: animal rights.

 

Animals are treated dreadfully in Chinese farms, laboratories, zoos and

elsewhere. There are grim factories where thousands of live bears in tiny

cages are tapped for medicinal bile. At safari parks, live sheep and poultry

are fed to lions as spectators cheer. At farms and in slaughterhouses,

animals are killed with little concern for their suffering.

 

According to Zhou Ping, of China's legislature, the National People's

Congress, few Chinese accept that animals have any rights at all. She thinks

it is time they did, and in 2006 put forward China's first national

animal-welfare law. Her proposal got nowhere, and there is no sign of

progress since. " There is so far " , she says, " only a small voice calling for

change. "

 

Louder voices get short shrift from China's rulers. Even People for the

Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an activist group based in America,

known for its robust approach, treads lightly in China. Its advertisements,

featuring Chinese stars, are more playful than shocking. It is also working

quietly with local officials, for example advising police in Nanjing on

handling stray dogs-a growing problem in many Chinese cities where the

keeping of pets, once rare, is becoming widespread.

 

Some Chinese animal-rights activists hope this trend heralds greater

benevolence toward animals. One vegan activist and rock musician in Beijing,

Xie Zheng, has adopted the slogan " Don't Eat Friends " to persuade people not

to eat meat. That may be harder than getting them to forgo furs or bear-bile

medicines. Vegetarian restaurants are spreading, but many patronise them to

be trendy rather than ethical.

 

Campaigners are not discouraged. Jill Robinson, a Briton, spends most of her

time in Sichuan province, caring for bears rescued from bile farmers, who

are compensated in return for shutting down their operations. She says

support from local young people is rising fast, and attitudes are starting

to change. If China can stop binding women's feet, she asks, why should it

not abandon cruelty to animals?

[Guest guest]

We look forward to the day when there will be a law to protect animals

in China and the law is sincerely enforced.

 

In the meantime, more power to people like Zhou Ping and Xie Zheng and

the many other animal welfare and rights people working under such difficult

conditions.

 

And let us not forget those like Dr. John Wedderburn and Mrs. Jill

Robinson who take every effort to keep the issue alive.

 

S. Chinny Krishna

 

 

 

 

aapn [aapn ] On Behalf Of Dr

John Wedderburn

08 September 2008 10:07

AAPN List

(CN) Animal rights in China

 

A small voice calling

Feb 28th 2008 | BEIJING

From The Economist print edition

http://www.economis

<http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10766740>

t.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10766740

 

The stirrings of a new protest movement

 

HUMAN rights, or the lack of them, have long been a focus of China's

critics

at home and abroad. But a new rights movement-complete with idealistic

local

and foreign campaigners-is stirring: animal rights.

 

Animals are treated dreadfully in Chinese farms, laboratories, zoos and

elsewhere. There are grim factories where thousands of live bears in

tiny

cages are tapped for medicinal bile. At safari parks, live sheep and

poultry

are fed to lions as spectators cheer. At farms and in slaughterhouses,

animals are killed with little concern for their suffering.

 

According to Zhou Ping, of China's legislature, the National People's

Congress, few Chinese accept that animals have any rights at all. She

thinks

it is time they did, and in 2006 put forward China's first national

animal-welfare law. Her proposal got nowhere, and there is no sign of

progress since. " There is so far " , she says, " only a small voice calling

for

change. "

 

Louder voices get short shrift from China's rulers. Even People for the

Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an activist group based in America,

known for its robust approach, treads lightly in China. Its

advertisements,

featuring Chinese stars, are more playful than shocking. It is also

working

quietly with local officials, for example advising police in Nanjing on

handling stray dogs-a growing problem in many Chinese cities where the

keeping of pets, once rare, is becoming widespread.

 

Some Chinese animal-rights activists hope this trend heralds greater

benevolence toward animals. One vegan activist and rock musician in

Beijing,

Xie Zheng, has adopted the slogan " Don't Eat Friends " to persuade people

not

to eat meat. That may be harder than getting them to forgo furs or

bear-bile

medicines. Vegetarian restaurants are spreading, but many patronise them

to

be trendy rather than ethical.

 

Campaigners are not discouraged. Jill Robinson, a Briton, spends most of

her

time in Sichuan province, caring for bears rescued from bile farmers,

who

are compensated in return for shutting down their operations. She says

support from local young people is rising fast, and attitudes are

starting

to change. If China can stop binding women's feet, she asks, why should

it

not abandon cruelty to animals?