Fw: (CN) Animal lovers seeing red over bullfight ring

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Maria Lopes

ITD

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:56 PM

Animal lovers seeing red over bullfight ring

 

 

 

Animal lovers seeing red over bullfight ring

a.. Source: Global Times

b.. [01:57 January 27 2010]

By Lin Meilian

 

 

People watch bullfight game in Lianglong Village in Hongshui Township of

Rongshui County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 5,

2009. A bullfight game was held here to celebrate the local traditional

Xinmi Festival.(Xinhua/Long Tao)

 

Animal rights activists are trying to stop construction of a bull-fighting

ring planned on the outskirts of Beijing.

 

The Global Times learned of the project after a news agency in Spain

announced plans for a Spanish theme park near the Great Wall.

 

Although bullfights have lost popularity in Spain, a bullring in Beijing

this October would be a major tourist attraction, according to a report by

the Spanish news agency EFE.

 

In Spanish bullfighting tradition, the matador kills the bull and the

animal's ears and tail are cut off as trophies.

 

The Spanish promoters say they want to train Chinese matadors.

 

Manolo Sanchez, a Spanish matador, said last November that he has reached an

agreement with the government of Huairou district in suburban Beijing. He

said local officials believe that bullfighting, a cultural pillar of

traditional Spain, would help put the district on the map, according to the

report.

 

" We believe Spanish-style bullfighting would be embraced by many supporters

in China, " he was quoted as saying. " In fact, some television stations in

China broadcast Spanish bullfights regularly. "

 

'Tarnished image'

 

The bullfighting arena, with a seating capacity of 7,000, is scheduled to

open with two bullfights in October. Sixteen bullfights are planned for next

year, according to El Mundo, a daily newspaper in Spain.

 

Three Huairou officials involved with the bullfighting project seemed

uncomfortable discussing the project.

 

Zhou Huaiming, director of the district commission on science and

technology, told the Global Times that he is uncertain over the current

status of the project. He said he has not been involved in the planning

since he and two other officials returned from Spain last year.

 

" We do have a plan and we have heard many opposition voices, " he said.

 

He declined to provide details on the deal with Spain. The other two

officers remained silent about this project.

 

It is not the first time that Spanish-style bullfighting has raised eyebrows

in China.

 

Early in 2004, the Daxing district of Beijing ditched plans to host a

bullfight performance in a new, 6,400-seat bullring at Beijing's Wild Animal

Park. They abandoned their plans after animal rights activists complained

that bullfights had " the potential to tarnish Beijing's and China's image. "

 

Protest planned

 

The new project in Huairou faces similar challenges.

 

On November 17, the International Movement Against Bullfights (IMAB)

launched an online campaign calling on Chinese authorities to stop what the

group called a " barbarity. "

 

" We must at all cost prevent this project from going ahead. Otherwise we

will have another country with bullfights, " the group declared.

 

They posted emails to Chinese journalists and to official websites, asking

people to send protest letters. Thoughtfully, a sample protest letter was

provided.

 

" The Chinese authorities may have been flooded with emails from all over the

world, "

 

Maria Lopes, coordinator of IMAB, told the Global Times Tuesday.

 

Animal rights activists in China have taken their own actions.

 

Li Xiaoxi, a professor at the Air Force Command Institute and a former

member of CPPCC Beijing, helped block Daxing's plan to build a bullring. Li

told the Global Times that she and other members of CPPCC Beijing are now

working to block the latest project.

 

" We found out that local officers have different opinions on this project, "

Li said. " I don't understand why they still want to have a bullring when

even some places in Spain are considering banning it. "

 

She first learned of the project from other animal rights activists on the

Internet and immediately contacted local officers to complain.

 

" They turned a deaf ear to me, so I keep calling, calling and calling them, "

she said.

 

According to EFE's report, about 100 cows and 100 bulls are awaiting

shipment to China in January so that matadors would be fighting bulls bred

in China.

 

Li said she feels anxiety over bulls, because more bulls will enable the

bullfight promoters to build other bullrings in other cities.

 

It is not known if the bulls are on their way to China or are already here.

 

With no response from the local government, Li sent a complaint letter to

another member of CPPCC Beijing last December, asking for help.

 

The letter stated, " Bullfighting is a very cruel and brutal sport; even its

motherland Spain is considering banning this controversial sport. Daxing has

set an example. Such a bullfight should not appear in Huairou. "

 

She said the proposal has been submitted to relevant departments last

December and might be discussed at the upcoming " Two Sessions " in March, the

annual meetings of China's top legislative and political advisory body.

 

Mang Ping, a professor at the Central Institute of Socialism, told the

Global Times Tuesday that she is totally against the idea of bullfights in

China.

 

" They are driven by the profit motive to import such a bloody business

project.how could a local government face the public accusations? " she

asked.

 

Bullfighting has been under fire in Spain.

 

Hundreds of animal rights activists stripped down to their underwear and

splashed fake blood on their bodies during a protest outside the capital

Madrid's bullring last May, AFP said.

 

About 30 percent fewer bullfighting performances were staged across Spain

last year due to the recession, AFP reported.

 

Zheng Yang contributed to this story

 

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-01/501246.html

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-01/501246_2.html

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-01/501246_3.html