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So what thus far has been the response of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) to international outrage that China, which allows the annual slaughter of dogs at Yulin, is to host the 2019 World Dog Show. What does the FCI say to global citizens who are dismayed and opposed to its agreement to rename traditional Tibetan dog breeds as being ‘Chinese’? Well here’s a statement from Mr Rafael de Santiago the President of the FCI as published by ‘Canine Chronicle’. We advise that these comments should be examined with a healthy degree of critique, especially the content hiding ‘between the lines’, which we have for purposes of clarification, plus it’s just too darn tough to resist, offered a response to marked in red.
“Always attentive to the opinion of the breeders worldwide, we took note of the uproar concerning the attribution of the 2019 World Dog Show to China and to the decision regarding the country of origin of the following breeds : DO-KHYI (230), TIBETAN TERRIER (209), TIBETAN SPANIEL (231), LHASA APSO (227) and SHIH TZU (208).
Whilst we understand the concern expressed by the breeders worldwide about both situations, the FCI wishes to inform that the decision to grant the organization of the WDS 2019 to China was taken by a decision of our General Assembly where 68 countries were present or represented and by a large majority of votes, in total transparency and according to the principles of democracy internationally recognised and accepted…..” (Emphasis added)
So on the fallacious pretext of democratic process even the most ethically unsound and morally dubious action is absolved of any principled and moral responsibility by virtue of a consensus? On that basis presumably the Mr de Santiago and the FCI would countenance the mass culling of stray dogs, and defend the decision by claiming a democratic mandate! Of course the FCI is using a straw-man defense here, but let’s return to his statement….
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Mr de Santiago continues.….”That decision was made on basis of a very open and complete presentation made by our Chinese member, CKU, during which our Chinese member delegation has clearly mentioned the cultural differences between China and most of the other countries in the world.” (Emphasis added)
Ah! Now where have we heard this line before? That’s right from the very same Chinese regime that permits the persecution and slaughter of dogs, inflicts a range of harrowing human rights atrocities against its own people, wages a genocidal assault against Tibet and its culture, violently denies free-speech, imposes a blanket of censorship across the media, administers a program of forced sterilizations, and runs a network of forced-labor camps where political and religious prisoners are being butchered for their organs! None of these harrowing realities bother the FCI which in a staggering example of credulity has swallowed the argument used by the Chinese authorities when it is regularly challenged on human rights issues, namely that the world needs to give China special consideration because it’s culture is ‘different’. In other words human rights are according to the torturers of Bejing specific and defined, not by universality, but cultural factors. We’ve been hearing this nauseating excuse for years, meanwhile the violations continue.
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The President goes on...”The FCI sees it as an excellent opportunity to raise awareness among the Chinese population that the dog, our beloved friend, is a member of our families, a living entity and most of all Man’s best Friend”. (Emphasis added)
Anyone who read our previous post ‘China Is Not Fit To Host The 2019 World Dog Show’ may recall that we mentioned in that article how the FCI, like the International Olympic Committee and Governments worldwide, hides behind what has proved a failed and empty promise of ‘constructive engagement’ with China. This approach would have you believe that in working within China a moderating influence is exerted and the more odious excesses of the Chinese regime, or in the case of animal cruelty, are moderated. This jaded and threadbare justification has proved over and over to be utterly vacuous, the abuses continue, oppression, shootings and torture remain, while the suits of the IOC or the FCI wring their hands and offer platitudes about ‘improvements’ and ‘awareness’.
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Mr de Santiago then says…“In addition, we find it important to clarify that our Chinese member, CKU, is an FCI full member. As such, CKU has the right to ask to be the country of origin of the breeds indicated above. It is important to know that any change in a breed standard can be implemented worldwide if and only if the FCI General Committee, following recommendations of the FCI Standards and Scientific Commissions, approves it.”. (Emphasis added)
Now we get down to it, in the above remark Mr de Santiago and the FCI openly acknowledges, and is endorsing that Tibet is; and presumably they would also agree, has been an inalienable part of China. In truth however that is a falsehood. Indeed in terms of international law Tibet remains an independent nation under an illegal occupation. That fact however does not concern the President of the FCI who ‘reasons’ that since these breeds are supposedly from within the ‘country of origin’ China therefore retains a right to rename the Lhasa Apso or Tibetan Terrier as more Chinese sounding titles. This line of thinking is effectively an endorsement of military aggression and colonization, which is precisely how Tibet was annexed by China in 1950.
The FCI President concludes…“Nowadays, the FCI is more than ever committed to the betterment and safeguard of the Dog and to promoting its welfare, love and respect in the four corners of the world.”
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Really? What kind of double-think is going on here? So to protect the dogs of China, the most effective course of action is to collaborate with the world’s most heinous and blood-soaked regime and support hosting the World Dog Show in Shanghai? While in the very same country at Yulin and elsewhere countless numbers of dogs are being abused, tortured and killed. It’s rather like imagining the International Red Cross announcing in 1939 that in order to advance the rights of Polish Gypsies and Jews it will be attending a conference hosted, approved and financed by the National Socialist Party!
The full Canine Chronicle article may be read here
tibettruth.com 