Chef stirs row over China’s animal rights
Refusal to cook wild animals rewarded, reports Hector Mackenzie in Beijing
A Chinese chef fired from 12 different jobs over his refusal to cook wild animals was given a special award by conservationists last week.
And, odd though it may seem in a country boasting one of the fastest-growing economies on the planet and one of only three nations capable of putting people into space, that’s a remarkable story here.
Zhang Xingguo, 32, has converted around 700 others to follow his stand. He’s just one of one million chefs the China Wildlife Conservation Association hopes will follow suit by the magical year 2008. That’s when China hosts the hard-won Olympic Games for the first time in its long and turbulent history – and comes to the attention of an outside world it desperately wants to impress.
Sceptics this week are saying the country has more chance of getting a man on the moon in that timeframe than it does protecting the basic rights of animals. To the dismay of the small band of activists here, last week also saw the dramatic suspension of historic animal welfare draft legislation that would, for the first time, have provided legally enshrined rules on animal wellbeing.
The draft, published on the local government’s website for public consultation – before being withdrawn four days later – included specific requirements on raising animals in captivity, guarantees of decent living conditions, methods of transportation and slaughter.
It had teeth too: violators faced fines of up to £670 – more than twice what the average Beijinger earns in a month. Animals killed for financial gain would have to be sedated and slaughtered quickly. That’s a far cry from a pitiful situation in which dogs, amongst other unfortunate beasts, are butchered in front of other whimpering, terrified animals and sold in parts on the spot.
While mystery surrounds the circumstances of the U-turn, sources in Beijing’s legal affairs office have been quoted as saying the laws were scrapped as “impractical”. And that’s a cold, hard truth, privately accepted even by some of the most fervent pro-animal activists.
Commentator Xi Xuchu said it was “reasonable and convincing” for the authorities to suspend the rules. It would be almost impossible to enforce “in real life”, he said. “Most people slaughtering domestic animals for meat in China now would violate the regulation.”
Wuhan-based legal expert Qiao Xinsheng voiced what many think: “As soon as you talk about animal rights, you’re talking about money. Our farms are small, poorly ventilated buildings. Our slaughterhouses are not modern. How can you expect a farmer in China to copy the West?
“ If we want to apply Western standards to China, then many people in China would have no right to raise animals. China just barely left the stage when people were wondering where their next meal will come from. They can’t think about animals yet.”
And it’s true that the general greeting for meeting friends is: “Ni chi fan le ma?” (Have you eaten?) It dates from a not-too-distant past when the answer might well have been: “no”.
The legislation would have applied to Beijing and was seen as a trailblazer for the rest of the country. But outside the urban centres benefiting most from China’s rapid development are the 900 million peasants and farmers who make up the vast majority of the population. For many, animals are regarded quite simply as a resource. Activist Lu Di, a retired professor who shelters cats and dogs, described China as “a disaster zone for animals” and said protection is long overdue.
“To allow this to go on shows we are not a civil society,” she said. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFWA) has called on Beijing to reconsider, arguing that the majority of the population agrees it’s wrong to maltreat animals.
It adds: “The lack of animal welfare laws means violators are free from any legal punishment.” The IFWA’s argument, that as an Olympic city Beijing “should have a pioneering standard for its moral construction”, might hold most sway of all.
Animal-lover Du Shu, a 24-year-old who keeps pet rabbits in Beijing, said: “Last month the local government banned plans for bullfighting here. The ring was already built but there was pressure from some activists and concern at a high level that China’s image would be adversely affected abroad.
“By no means does everyone treat animals badly in China, but far too many people do. If they’re smart, those in authority will realise that the glitziest Olympics ever means nothing to the outside world if China retains its terrible reputation over animals. That is the hope for change.”
23 May 2004
sundayherald.com |
