玉林狗肉节引发争议 加国安省269万人签倡议信

参考消息网6月19日报道，一年一度的玉林狗肉节引发国际上的强烈谴责。这一活动在6月21日举行。每年狗肉节通常有大约1万条狗（最近还有猫）配着荔枝酒被吃掉。玉林的“荔枝狗肉节”活动始于20世纪90年代，也就是说并没有千年万年的传统历史。

几个星期以来，国际社交媒体上出现了一场前所未有的运动，反对玉林狗肉节..据英国《独立报》网站6月18日报道，彼得•李（音）走访玉林郊区一家屠宰场时，第一印象就是脏水、狗毛、血和肉皮混在一起的恶臭。

李先生是动物权益保护组织国际人道协会的专家。他在早晨6点半到达现场时发现，当天的主要屠宰环节已经完成。堆在肮脏地板上的动物内脏就是证明。

他说：“我看到猫狗的肠子和挂起来的尸体。工人们正在用喷灯处理尸体，让它们看起来光亮，准备送往餐馆。有些狗还活着，关在笼子里，但看上去无精打采，又瘦又脏。”

几年来，中国和世界各地的动物权益保护者都对玉林狗肉节提出抗议。由于狗肉交易没有受到严格管控，很难弄清每年到底有多少狗被屠宰。《参考消息》提示：非政府组织亚洲动物基金公布的一份调查报告称，中国每年约有1000万只狗被屠宰用作食物。该组织说，这些狗很少由供应商饲养，大多都是买来的，或者像某些抗议者所说的那样，是偷来的。

《京华时报》导语也说:近日，“荔枝狗肉节”在广西玉林如期举行，同时引发了极大争议，爱狗党和吃狗党针锋相对，各述其理。到底是爱狗有理还是吃狗无罪？无论如何，这只是一种旧观念和新文明在道德上的冲突，这种冲突亦体现了社会的多元与进步。

如何看待吃狗肉这种行为？外媒不少指责狗肉节（包括吃狗肉）是残忍血腥，因此必须取缔。一些国际动物权益保护主义者在2013年就开始抗议玉林狗肉节。他们与当地的动物权益保护主义者合作，使狗肉节在某种程度上变得较为“节制”。去年，抗议仍在继续，当局与狗肉节保持一定距离。动物保护主义者则把狗买回家，使它们免遭屠宰。动物保护主义者和民间习俗捍卫者不出所料地再度爆发了争论，为该不该吃狗肉纷纷激烈交火。

海外甚至年年有人呼吁致信给中国人民共和国总统（主席），要求中国政府出面制止玉林的吃狗肉节日（ To President of the People's Republic of China STOP THE YULIN DOG MEAT EATING FESTIVAL ）。

加拿大安省 Elliot Lake 有人呼吁致信给中国人民共和国总统的倡议已有296余万人的积极响应。(编辑注:不知此数据信源。change网上看到141万签名）

《参考消息》近日一篇“玉林狗肉节挨批 外媒:中国网民'抗议圣诞吃火鸡' ”说， 中国一些网民的强烈反应，他们批评外国人指手画脚。

一位网民写道：“吃狗肉是一些人的习俗，就像一些人不吃猪肉一样。而他们不会抗议我们吃猪肉。我们应当彼此尊重。如果你不想吃某种东西，那就别吃。”另一位网民写道：“让我们都来抗议圣诞节吃火鸡的习惯！”

在玉林，李先生说：“有个屠宰场的女老板告诉我，她十几岁的儿子问她，来自动物保护主义者的压力那么大，她为什么不转行干别的。她回答说，‘我们得靠这个谋生，你以为我们很喜欢干这一行吗？一点也不。但我们只会干这个’。”

We are writing you to request that the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government must cancel the “Dog Meat Festival” that is held on June 22 in Yulin. As foreigners who have great respect for the Chinese people and Chinese civilization, We are saddened to learn that the Yulin “Dog Meat Festival” still exists in a modern civilized society. We believe that this event has no place in the 21st century. We adamantly voice our strong opposition to this barbaric “festival” for the following five reasons:

First, China is the country with the second largest number of rabies cases in the world. The Yulin government itself admitted in 2007 that the city was one of the hardest hit by rabies outbreaks. According to a news report (http://gx.news.163.com/07/0102/14/33RCB62S006300CU.html), 338 rabies cases were reported in Yulin between 2002 and 2006. All of the infected people died from this disease. The annual economic cost to Yulin amounted to 6.67 million Yuan. Based on the toll the disease is taking on the health of the city’s residents, the authorities in Yulin should be doing everything they can to prevent the spread of the disease. Dogs transported for days in crowded conditions to Yulin, with compromised immunity systems, are known to be vulnerable to the spread of illnesses. Allowing the “Dog Meat Festival” to continue is a sign of a lack of vigilance at the very least. Given the national government’s policy on rabies prevention and control, it might even be construed as wanton contempt and total negligence of the public. In the interest of public health, disease prevention, and enforcement of the national government’s policies, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government should put an end to the event.

Second, the “Dog Meat Festival” can potentially undermine social stability, aggravate existing social conflicts, and sabotage the central government’s efforts to build a harmonious society. A significant number of the dogs sold on the market, according to Chinese activist investigations, are stolen household pets or are watch dogs of rural families. The recent retaliative, brutal assault on dog thieves by victims of dog theft indicates the potentially explosive nature of confrontations between dog owners and the dog meat industry. Frankly, the violent action by the villagers in Guangxi was a reaction to the fact that local law enforcement had long failed to protect the interest of the dog owners. Allowing the “Dog Meat Festival” to continue is like endorsing dog theft, which supplies the dog meat industry. It could seriously damage the authority of the government and the credibility of state laws. If dog theft continues, violent confrontations between dog owners and animal lovers and the dog meat industry will escalate and intensify, potentially leading to mass unrest. The government can prevent such a situation from developing by ending the Yulin “Dog Meat Festival.”

Third, the Yulin “Dog Meat Festival” is a dangerous food safety issue. Dogs sold on the market are sick and dying animals. They suffer from horrendous conditions during the long distance, trans-provincial journeys. China does NOT have dog farms. There are no national or local standards to ensure the safety of dog meat since dogs are not raised for food. Sick or contaminated dogs can pass illnesses to humans in the course of transport, slaughter, and food preparations. It has also been reported that some dogs have been poisoned during their capture and carry toxins in their body. The govenment cannot afford to ignore this public health issue. It is therefore imperative for the government to shut down the “Dog Meat Festival” and prevent the onset of a SARS-like disease and massive deaths.

Fourth, the Yulin “Dog Meat Festival” exposes young people to violence. During the festival, the streets of Yulin flow with dog blood, since dogs are often slaughtered in public. Have the dog meat dealers ever considered the reaction of the people who walk by? Have they ever considered the feelings of the young children who witness the brutality on their way to school? The wanton imposition of bloody scenes on the public can cause severe mental distress and psychological trauma to people, particularly school children. Studies have long shown that exposure to violence can desensitize youth and cause them to later commit acts of cruelty and abuse. The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government and its official Women Federation are obligated to stand up and to protect the young people from being forced to witness this brutal spectacle.

Fifth, although the “Dog Meat Festival” has been promoted as a local “folk custom,” it is not really a local culinary culture. It is a commercial activity masquerading as a regional tradition. No culture or local custom is a defense of a practice that runs counter to human progress. Despite strong resistance, foot-binding, opium-smoking, and arranged marriage -- so-called Chinese traditional practices -- were ended without jeopardizing the Chinese culture. In fact, Chinese civilization has since experienced a spirited rejuvenation and China’s pace of progress has not been slowed one bit. To glorify the Chinese culture, the government must eliminate outdated practices that represent forces of the past and that damage the reputation of the mainstream Chinese culture.

Finally, Guangxi has breathtaking natural beauty that attracts millions of domestic and international tourists. The Yulin “Dog Meat Festival” is internationally perceived as a disgrace to this region. In June 2014, the festival was condemned by more than 100,000 people around the world within a short span of a few days. The event has already tarnished the reputation of Guangxi and will have a negative consequence on commerce and on the tourism industry.

We appeal to you to act in the interest of public health, food safety, child welfare, and the reputation of Guangxi and China. The Yulin “Dog Meat Festival” is not a regional “folk custom.” It is a business operation that undermines the national and public interest. The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government is at a historical juncture. The “Dog Meat Festival” must end.

CC:

Mr. Li Keqiang

Prime Minister, State Council, People's Republic of China

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Agriculture

State General Administration of Food and Drug

State Commission of Public Health and Family Planning

Ministry of Public Security

State General Administration of Tourism

https://www.change.org/p/mr-chen-wu-yulin-governor-please-shut-down-the-yulin-dog-meat-festival-in-guangxi-china