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Animal Welfare must be placed on Sri Lanka's National Agenda

Gal Gava Mithuro

Arahant Mahinda during that historic first meeting with King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale 2300 years ago advised the King that he was the protector not only of his human subjects but also of the natural environment and all living beings in his realm. Arahant Mahinda would have undoubtedly been influenced by the Buddha's Discourse in the Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta ( Digha Nikaya of the Sutta Pitaka ) where the Buddha in spelling out the State Responsibilities of an ideal ruler said :

' The Cakkavatti King (Righteous King) will give protection, shelter and ward both to the different classes of human beings, and also to birds and beasts '.

This pronouncement of the Buddha ranks as a landmark in the evolution of the struggle for the emancipation of non-human animals from human abuse and cruelty. Arahant Mahinda's declaration set the tone for the creation of an Asokan model of benevolent State in Sri Lanka, which lasted for nearly 2000 years, until it was broken down by the entry of western colonial powers, commencing with the Portuguese invasion in 1505.

Despite a rich legacy of State Protection of Animals which is well documented in Sri Lanka's History e.g. Mahawamsa, we regret to note the conspicuous failure of post-independence Governments in Sri Lanka to revive and develop this noble tradition of our cultural and spiritual heritage.

Animal Welfare is not on the election manifesto of any political party or candidate. This is a reflection of the low priority extended to our dumb friends in this country's national agenda. If one were to compare the increasing attention that is given to Animal Rights issues by lawmakers in Western countries (that lack a cultural heritage of compassion for animals ) with the corresponding neglect of these issues in Sri Lanka, it would cause us to hide our faces in shame. Those who campaign for human rights as the path of purifying the tarnished national image of our country, should ponder over the statement of Mahatma Gandhi who said that ' The greatness and morality of a nation must be judged by the way it treats its animals '.

The abuse and cruelty towards animals goes on in Sri Lanka unabated due to outdated laws and weak enforcement of these laws. Further, large scale political interference on behalf of wrongdoers and butchers running illegal abattoirs, prevent the Police from performing their duty of protecting the helpless animals.

We demand out of a sense of compassion and justice, for the suffering animals, that animal welfare issues be given due attention in the national agenda. We insist on the adoption of the following measures:

1) Ban the export of meat from Sri Lanka
2) Ban the advertising of flesh foods in the mass media
3) Close all illegal slaughter houses
4) Enact new Animal Welfare laws that incorporate internationally recognised standards of protection of animals, and impose heavy punishment including long sentences of imprisonment and confiscation of vehicles used in illegal transport of animals. The current maximum fine for cruelty to animals is Rs. 100. It is totally inadequate and lacks a deterrent effect.
5) Ban the caricaturing of animals eg chicken, in advertisements. These tasteless advertisements influence people particularly our children to see animals as objects of fun and playthings, rather than as living creatures deserving of our kindness and compassion.
6) Register and empower Animal Welfare Societies to liaise with Police in the enforcement of Animal Protection Laws. This position prevails in most western countries e.g. UK, USA, Australia, France, Germany, and also India.
7) Ban ' Battery Hen ' Poultry farming
8) Ban the use of animals for human entertainment e.g. Horse Racing, Circus, Elephant Polo Games, Cart Racing using Cattle, Cock-Fighting, and the like. These activities cause immense suffering to animals. They are unlikely to attract much foreign tourists who are becoming increasingly sensitive to the plight and harassment of animals that are used in so called ' sports '.
9) Do not open any more Zoos. They are in fact prisons, where the encaged animals are forced to serve a life sentence of imprisonment without having committed an offence. Activities where human beings derive joy out of the pain and misery of animals must be discontinued. The ' Zoo ' is a Western concept introduced into Sri Lanka by the British colonial Government. Sri Lankan rulers in the pre-colonial period established wild life sanctuaries for the welfare of animals. They were the first to do so in human history.
10) The State should not encourage the public to engage in vocations involving the abuse and killing of animals. These vocations constitute wrong livelihoods and may result in some participants severing all connections with their religion e.g. Buddhism that does not sanction the killing of animals, including fish for food.
11) Impose a ban on the use of animals in research work particularly vivisection, both in schools and Universities. Humane alternatives e.g. computer simulations, videos etc. are now available as an effective substitute. The ethical treatment of animals must be made a part of Humane Education that should be taught as a subject in schools.
12) Ban the ' sacrifice ' of animals for religious activities including home slaughter, which as a practice, is alien to our deep-seated cultural traditions.
13) Ban the inhumane destruction of stray animals by local authorities
14) Introduce modern ' humane ' methods of slaughter of animals in place of the medieval ' halal ' method.

We consider, as friends of animals, the slaughter of animals as objectionable and unnecessary. We therefore encourage people to refrain from eating flesh foods.

However given the ground reality of the slaughter of animals for food, we request that the welfare of the animal be given the paramount consideration over any other reason.

This requires that modern methods of slaughter that impose the minimum pain on the animal be adopted.

The western countries have rejected the crude and inhumane ' halal ' method of slaughter of animals.

Tudor Wickremasinghe
Hony. Secretary
Gal Gava Mithuro
180, Deans Road
Colombo 10

Tel. ++94 (01) 692336
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