A Change of Guard

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Tuesday 7 April 2015

យុទ្ធនាការ​ប្រឆាំង​សាច់​សុនខ​ត្រូវ​ប៉ូលិស​រារាំង



អ្នក​បម្រើ​នៅ​ហាង​សាច់​ឆ្កែ​មួយ​កន្លែង​នៅ​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញលើក​ម្ហូប​សាច់​ឆ្កែនិង​គ្រឿង​ក្នុង​ជូន​អតិថិជន​។ (នៅ វណ្ណារិន/VOA)

Campaign to ban the eating of dog and cat meat


School of Vice: Aside from the near universal repulsion towards the eating of dog and cat meat, there are important reasons why there ought to be a strict legal injunction of some kind against the consumption and trade in dog and cat meats. Countries such as Vietnam, Korea and China are fast acquiring reputation as destinations for animal loving travelers and tourists to forego if possible due to this said practice and the blatant accompanied cruelty done to 'man's best friends'.

I'm quite aware that similar cruelty and practice aren't restricted to these species alone in these countries, nor in Cambodia or anywhere else in general. Yet, the more 'advanced countries' around the world on the whole are better endowed with legal regulations governing this part of human beings' relations with animals; with the public and ethics playing their part in the process. 

We know that in times of great hunger and want humans are capable of eating anything in order to live and survive; and many Cambodians who had lived through the KR era may have first hand experience of this necessity to some extent. 

Eating dog and cat meat today [along with rats and or other endangered wildlife species] can thus be seen to go on as a consequence of this past strife and great food shortage. The same practice can also be attributed to the spreading of foreign cultural influences, in particular, through Vietnamese military occupation and immigration within recent decades. I'm quite convinced that eating the meat of these animals are quite alien to the Khmers culturally and traditionally, and despite the fact that some of them had tasted the meat of these animals in the past, it still remains something of an exception rather than the norm among them. However, it's not only at times of great hunger and want that human beings acquire a taste or new habits; these things can also be accustomed to during times of abundance and plenty through ignorance and unregulated contact with foreign or 'alien' cultural invasions or imports. If we look at those parts of the country that are in closest physical proximity to Vietnam such as Prey Veng and Svay Rieng we can see why Vietnamese influence in manners of food, dress and other habits are most conspicuous and extensive. 

Like all other social evils - human trafficking, the 'virgin trade', modern slavery of various natures - there is a demand and supply that underpins the practice and constitutes the underlying factor that drives and fuels the 'industry' that in turn will inevitably have satisfied the desire and greed of the few and, caused distress and torment to the many. The consumption and trade in dog and cat meat not only harm a country's international image and economic prospect but also brings distress and resentment to those whose pets have been stolen off them, and this could lead to violent retribution or vendetta as has been reported among some villages in Vietnam recently.

For Cambodia, it's not too late to act to prevent this practice from becoming so widespread that the majority will see only good in preserving it out of acquired taste. Well, at least until that fateful day when the butcher comes for them. By which time - I hasten to add - it might be too late.            

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