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PENN
PENN
PENN
The opposition was bitter, on the grounds that - once in captivity - imported animals couldn't be distinguished from the ones that were still meant to be protected locally; that the law would endorse cruelty, and because of health risks - specially risks of rabies. Even so, the law was changed under pressure from the Hong Kong Communist traders who complained that the Government was interfering with traditional cating customs.
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The responsible Hong Kong official in this matter is the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, E.H. Nichols.
Nichols
Representations were made that there was a legitimato trade in certain animals which were protected in Hong Kong, but which were imported for food and medicinal purposes. A traditional diet, a traditional medicine approach. And as a result of these representacions it was decided to amend the law to permit this trade to be - in fact if you like (laughs) re-legitimised. It was inadvertently made illegal in the first instance.
Well the Director was among those senior officials who 'inadvertently' made the original decision. Dogmeat is also, by the way, a traditional Chinese dish, but it's officially still prohibited. Anxieties to accommodate this trade has committed Hong Kong officials to a whole set of double standards and pretences of this kind. It reflects Governments extreme sensitivity to China and the low posturo generally adopted toward the People's Republic except in times of cutright confrontation..
I asked the Director if any representations had been made to tho Kwantung provincial authorities, or through London to Peking, asking
China in her own interests to reconsider these exports.
Nichols
To the best of my knowledge the answer to that is 'o'. Penn.
Iwould
Would you not think this would be something worth doing,
considering the apparent scale?
Nichols
As a private individual, I think the answer to that is 'Yes', but this is a political matter which is outside my own
official jurisdiction.
It is quite true that policy is directed from a higher Government level, but an important factor would be his professional advice. Two big Hong Kong companies - No Fung Hona and Teck Soon Hong - are the importing agents for these animals. Both have longstanding and profitable relations with the People's Republic, the precise nature of which is not really known, but they're typical of Hong Kong
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