Category: Asia

Sultan bans hunting in Johor Baru, Malaysia

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 2010:

JOHOR BARU, Malaysia– Johor state ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni
Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on March 5, 2010 ordered a halt to hunting
and called for gun licensing to be tightened.
Sultan Ibrahim said that alleged nuisance wildlife, such as
boars or crows, should be reported to the Johor Wildlife Department,
which might still use lethal measures in specific situations.
Personally involved in breeding endangered species and
rehabilitating injured wildlife, Sultan Ibrahim reportedly has as
many as 18 tigers, several panthers, and 400 deer on his property.

“Saving” tigers by selling them

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

JAKARTA–The Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar opened
on February 14, 2010 with schemes to “save” tigers that posed
perhaps a greater threat to tiger welfare and wild tiger survival
than even aggressive poaching that has cut the wild tiger population
in half since the last Year of the Tiger in 1998.
For nine days in January 2010 the Indonesian wildlife
protection organization ProFauna enjoyed a rare victory against both
tiger poaching and the exploitation of captive tigers. ProFauna
helped to send the most brazen tiger poacher in memory to prison,
for the August 22, 2009 pre-dawn killing and butchery of a
20-year-old tiger named Sheila in her cage at the Taman Rimba Zoo in
Jambi, capital of Jambi province.

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Tiger defenders sued

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

BANGKOK–Wildlife Friends founder Edwin Wiek and
representatives of the Bangkok Post on February 3, 2010 entered
their responses to a defamation case filed against them by the Wat Pa
Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery, better known as the
Tiger Temple.
According to Tiger Temple publicity, the facility “started
in 1999,” with “a sick baby tiger, orphaned by poachers,” and
expanded to house other tiger orphans.”
Under Buddhist influence, the tigers “even sit for the
meditating sessions with the monks,” and also are extensively
handled by thousands of paying visitors.

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Discussion of draft Chinese animal welfare bill ignites over eating dogs and cats

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

BEIJING–Released in late 2009 to promote public discussion,
a draft Chinese animal welfare act produced by an academic committee
had by mid-February 2010 generated a media storm nationwide.
“The proposed draft will be submitted to relevant government
departments in April,” reported Deng Shasha, editor of China Daily,
the largest Chinese newspaper. “Before being adopted as a law,”
Deng Shasha explained, “the draft must go through the State Council
and then receive three readings at the National People’s Congress
Standing Committee, the top legislative authority. The draft is not
included in the legislative agenda for 2008-2013 released by the
National People’s Congress Standing Committee,” Deng Shasha
cautioned, “indicating it might be a few years before it is adopted
as a law.”

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The importance of humane education

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

The importance of humane education by Wu Tianyu

Among the few nations which have almost every type of
ecosystem, from tropical rainforest to desert to steppe, China has
great natural bioversity, including such species unique to China as
giant pandas, 19 varieties of pheasant, three golden monkeys,
Przewalski’s Horse, Przewalski’s gazelle, wild yaks, and Tibetan
antelope.
China also breeds 1 billion pigs, 10 billion chickens, and
200 million cattle each year-more than any other nation.
In addition, China breeds more wildlife in captivity than
any other nation.
Even by the lowest recent estimates, Chinese people also
keep more pets than any other nation: two to seven times more pet
dogs, and more pet cats than dogs.
Yet our wildlife, our farm animals, and even our pets are
often badly treated. Lacking animal welfare legislation, China is in
this sense behind more than 110 other nations. Animals suffer from
low status in China because the national education system does
nothing to promote animal welfare.
When we understand the relationship between humans and
animals, it is clear that treating animals with compassion is
essential to fostering human virtue.
The more civilized a society, the wider is its scope of
care. The moral shortcomings of a nation cannot be overcome through
economic development and scientific advances. This requires
enlightenment and education. Therefore, it is essential to integrate
humane education into the Chinese educational system. China has more
students than any other nation. This means that China has huge
potential to promote humane values through education, from
kindergarten to university. When humane education is a part of most
people’s education, most people will recognize the importance of
treating animals in an ethical manner, and will support legislation
prohibiting cruelty.

Wu Tianyu founded Animal Rescue Beijing in 1987, and
established the China University Union for the Protection of Animals
in 2009. CUUPA, now including 110 chapters at 110 universities in
six provinces, advocates the integration of humane education into
the Chinese curriculum, and promotes the passage of animal welfare
legislation in China.

Animal welfare is Chinese tradition, says prof

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

CHENGDU–Legislating on behalf of animals is not a break with
Chinese culture and tradition, but rather a rediscovery of ancient
Chinese values, Central Institute of Socialism professor Mang Ping
recently told an ActAsia forum on promoting animal welfare
legislation.
“In Chinese history there is a long tradition of protecting
animals, but we forget about the past. We have the same sympathy
and mercy as the West towards animals,” Mang Ping declared,
according to notes taken by Animals Asia Foundation founder Jill
Robinson.

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Retired cavalry general rides to the rescue of Animal Birth Control programs

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:
CHENNAI, AHMEDABAD– Responding to alleged corruption that
has in recent years crippled the Indian national Animal Birth Control
program, Animal Welfare Board of India chair Rammehar Kharb warned
the cities of Ahmedabad and Ludhiana against employing unauthorized
ABC providers.
“You are requested to cancel your ABC contract awarded to
Animal Shelter & Hospital at Ahmedabad Foundation, which is not
recognized or registered with AWBI,” Kharb wrote to the Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation, “failing which AWBI will be constrained to
initiate action in the matter.”

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Interest in the Chinese draft bill around Pacific Rim

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

TAIPEI, SEOUL– The Chinese draft animal welfare bill
attracted keen interest elsewhere around the Pacific Rim, especially
as a potential precedent for strengthening the animal welfare laws of
some of China’s major Asian trading partners.
Business news media discussed whether the introduction of a
Chinese animal welfare act will lead to international regulation of
animal welfare comparable to the regulation of commerce in endangered
species. Most pundits appeared to agree that whatever animal welfare
legislation China enacts will become the default standard for Asia,
and that no nation will prosper in trade if it has lower standards.

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China reportedly bans bullfights

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

“China has decided not to allow bullfights,” International
Movement Against Bullfights coordinator Maria Lopes e-mailed to
supporters on Feb-ruary 7, 2010, citing “several Spanish newspapers
published today.” The Spanish newspapers reported that a plan by
matador Manolo Sanchez to build a 7,000-seat bull ring in the Beijing
suburb of Huairou had been scuttled.
The Spanish accounts were not immediately confirmed by
Chinese media, but the Beijing Global Times on January 27, 2010
reported about Chinese opposition to repeated attempts to introduce
Spanish-style bullfighting to China.

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