Asians Speak out against Korean Dog and Cat Meat!

[Guest guest]

ASIANS SPEAK AGAINST KOREAN DOG AND CAT MEAT

 

Please circulate as wide as possible. For the photos, click the link.

 

http://www.acres.org.sg/campdog.htm

 

PRESS RELEASE

ASIA, 14 JUNE 2002 -- Asia Link, a coalition of Asian animal welfare

and conservation groups from 12 countries, is presenting a statement

to the South Korean Government asking them to make a clear

commitment

during the FIFA World Cup to enforce and improve their legislation

on

animal protection. Today, the Animal Concerns Research and Education

Society (ACRES) presented the South Korean Embassy in Singapore with

the statement as well as a video, " Culture or Excuse " , which exposes

the cruelty of the dog meat trade in Korea. The footage shows

conditions of farming, transporting and selling dogs for meat.

Representatives from other groups in countries such as Taiwan,

Japan,

Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal are also submitting the

Statement to their Korean embassies.

 

Not only is dog meat eaten but also the industry is now promoting

dog

meat products such as cosmetics. Dogs are bred in farms where most

never leave their cages. At the markets, they are crammed into cages

so they can hardly stand properly. Some are killed by electrocution.

Others are hanged then beaten as they die or tortured in other ways.

Cats are usually boiled, some alive, in large pressure cookers to

produce a tonic that supposedly cures ailments. Others may be beaten

with hammers.

 

Our ancestors domesticated dogs and cats as companions and we break

a

bond of trust when we treat them worse than livestock. Worldwide,

more societies, including Korea, are considering dogs and cats as

good companions. The Korean Government should take serious action to

reduce, and finally ban dog and cat eating in Korea, and not merely

improve the ways of slaughter.

 

In November last year, the FIFA President, Joseph Blatter had called

upon FIFA Vice President, Dr. Chung Mong-Joon of Korea to

take " immediate and decisive measures to put an immediate end to

this

cruelty " .

 

Laws to prevent cruelty to dogs and cats in Korea are weak. Laws

that

exist are not well enforced. During the last decade, only two

perpetrators of animal abuse were convicted and imposed small fines.

Asia Link calls urgently for legislative and policy-related changes

including:

 

A permanent ban on the slaughter of dogs and cats for human

consumption or other economic purposes.

Korean animal protection law to be improved so that it clearly

defines " animal cruelty " with regards to provision of food, housing,

veterinary care, shelter, maltreatment, transportation and

slaughter.

Enhanced law enforcement of existing and new laws on the dog and cat

meat trade.

Higher penalties for animal cruelty.

Formation of a National Animal Welfare committee, with

representation

from leading Korean animal welfare groups such as Voice4animals, to

advise the Government.

 

Asia Link is urging everyone concerned to write to the South Korean

President Kim Dae-jung showing support for these recommendations at:

http://www.cwd.go.kr/cgi-bin/php/engletter/writeform.php3

or at: 1, Sejongno, Jongo-gu, Seoul, Korea 110-050

 

" The World Cup will finish at the end of June. But there is no end

in

sight for the cruelty to dogs and cats in Korea. We cannot use

culture to justify violence. It is people who make " culture " , so

they

can change it. Dog eating was once popular in Taiwan but in 2001,

the

meat and fur of pets such as dogs and cats were banned from being

used for economic purposes. In the Philippines, the slaughter of

dogs

for meat is prohibited in Metro Manila. In Thailand, opposition to

it

is building and just recently the " City of Dog Eating " , Sakon

Nakhon,

banned the sale of dog meat in its efforts to create a " good image " .

As Asian societies ourselves, we are phasing out dog eating. We

invite Korea to join us in this humane move, " said Asia Link

representatives including Mr. Louis Ng, President of the Animal

Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).

 

Professor Changkil Park, Founder of the Seoul-based Voice4animals

said, " Over the years, there has been very strong support from the

Western world to stop the cruelty to Korea's dogs and cats. But this

latest collective action by the Asian community clearly shows that

there is now a world-wide demand for Korea to take immediate and

enduring steps to stop the extreme cruelty to the animals here. "

 

NOTES

1. This is an independent ASIA LINK initiative. ASIA LINK was formed

in 2000 to facilitate the sharing of information and resources

between Asian animal welfare and conservation groups.

 

2. The following organisations currently form the ASIA LINK

coalition:

 

BANGLADESH - Bangladesh Animal Welfare Organisation (BAWO)

CHINA - Educational Group for the Protection of Environment &

Animals

INDONESIA - Animal Conservation for Life (KSBK)

INDONESIA - Bali Street Dog Foundation

JAPAN - Japan Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS)

JAPAN - All Life In a Viable Environment (ALIVE)

KOREA - Voice4Animals

MALAYSIA - Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

NEPAL - National Zoonoses & Food Hygiene Research Centre

PHILIPPINES - Philippine Society for the Protection of Animals

(PSPA)

SINGAPORE - Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES)

SRI LANKA - Kandy Association for Community Protection through

Animal

Welfare (KACPAW)

TAIWAN - Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST)

THAILAND - Thai Animal Guardians Association (Thai AGA)