OPINION> Commentary
Protect rights of animals
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-10 07:39

We should step up legislation for the protection of animals' welfare, says an article in Jinwan Evening Post. The following is an excerpt:

According to media reports, some visitors to a wild animal zoo in Xi'an found that a tiger cub used for posing for pictures with visitors was being beaten by its owner.

There should be a limit to people making money out of animals and there should be some moral baselines. The animals' right to life cannot be ignored by human beings. Cao Qingyao, the spokesman of the State Forestry Administration, said that China sees great improvement in the welfare of wild animals and has adopted numerous measures to protect them such as the ban of inhuman animal performance and the regulation of animal zoos and the animal troupes.

But it is worrisome that until now laws such as the Criminal Law and the Law on the Protection of Wild Animals have no specific provisions for punishing offenses like maltreatment of animals. Therefore the law-enforcers often feel helpless.

While the animals cannot enjoy the same rights as human beings, they should at least enjoy the basic right to life and the right to not being maltreated. And that is what we call welfare of animals.

Since the 1980s, the welfare of animals has been legally protected in the European Union and countries like the US, Australia and Canada. So, it is necessary for China to improve legislation on animal protection.

(China Daily 09/10/2008 page8)