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Cruelty to elephants: British MP wants tourism to SL, Myanmar discouraged

21 February 2019 09:43 pm - 33     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A British MP, who raised the cruelty towards elephant issue in parliament, asked what steps the UK Government had taken to discourage tourism from the UK to Myanmar and Sri Lanka in which cruelty to elephants has been reported.

MP Dr. Rupa Huq asked the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs whether the UK has taken any steps to discourage tourism to countries including Sri Lanka and Myanmar where cruelty to elephants were reported by the NGOs.

Responding to the question, Parliamentary Under Secretary David Rutley said on Monday that the government has been working with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) to encourage them to make their customers aware of the reported issues around Asian elephants.

He said tourists should consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that animals have been mistreated before deciding whether to visit an animal attraction.

“We would encourage tourists to report any animal welfare concerns to their UK tour operator or travel agent on return to the UK. The UK is home to some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world. We hope that British citizens continue to respect these standards when they travel abroad,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)


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  Comments - 33

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  • ShakeSpear Thursday, 21 February 2019 09:51 PM

    Hurray! At last some good news. Now the Gamarala and the Dictator can ride elephants in fancy dress in the roads of Sri Lanka.

    NISHANKA CHAMARA Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:11 PM

    Good that British People understand the value of Elephants . There were more than 2000 Elephant killings during British era in Sri Lanka ..

    tissa Thursday, 21 February 2019 10:05 PM

    It was the British hunters who eradicated elephants from some parts of the country. Interesting of them to preach about cruelty now, when elephants were respected in this island for millennia.

    Kamal Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:17 PM

    You are correct about the Brits, but they have changed, we haven't where do you think the ivory in temples come from, poachers killing animals to sell to Chinese.

    das Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:28 PM

    They have changed their ways. Unfortunately, we are still cruel savages.

    nonsense Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:32 PM

    Is keeping them in chains and making them give rides your idea of respect?

    acs Friday, 22 February 2019 12:14 AM

    Another clown defending cruelty..

    Christina Downing Friday, 22 February 2019 04:49 AM

    Yes that is unfortunate, but the British that committed those atrocities have been dead for centuries. The present is what's important.

    prasanna Thursday, 21 February 2019 10:21 PM

    they are absolutely spot on

    Sanjaya Uduwerella Thursday, 21 February 2019 10:29 PM

    Dear MP, This is ridiculous. Dont you know that a British planter had made a record by killing hundreds of elephants roaming in the jungles of this beautiful country? It was his hobby. Now you are blaming the people here. Be descent.

    Be Fair Thursday, 21 February 2019 10:51 PM

    Well the British MPs should be reminded not of the Cruelty now, but of the mass scale killings of Elephants during their colonization of Sri Lanka. Wonder if they will compensate us......????? THEY SHOULD at least now.

    abc Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:30 PM

    They are reminding us that we are as cruel as they were once. They have moved on.

    Prem Kumar Friday, 22 February 2019 04:17 AM

    Me wage gon post thanavun innakan lankavata sethak naha!

    Suresh Thursday, 21 February 2019 10:51 PM

    We have some war crimes to report from back in 1815. Care to listen?

    abc Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:31 PM

    We also have some more recent war crimes, as I think you know

    Aney booruwa Friday, 22 February 2019 12:13 AM

    Isn't it time we started acting like civilized humans?

    animal lover Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:38 PM

    Animal welfare is a serious concern. Our level of development is judged by how we treat animals. These countries are truly civilised in that they display true compassion. When this MP points this out all our idiots can do is talk rubbish about elephant hunters 200 years ago and talk as if being chained and forced to go in peraheras is a thing elephants enjoy.

    Siri Herath Friday, 22 February 2019 09:54 AM

    You are so correct! Thank you!!

    Janaka Nanayakkara Tuesday, 26 February 2019 04:21 PM

    I'm with you...

    Buddhist Thursday, 21 February 2019 11:40 PM

    Biggest mistreatment is peraheras. We can also remember how the former dictator handed two elephant calves to some temples a few years ago despite protests by animal rights activists. This is true barbarism.

    Siri Herath Friday, 22 February 2019 09:55 AM

    Totally agree!

    lansur Friday, 22 February 2019 06:35 AM

    What ever the past, we must think about the elephant Now!

    Siri Herath Friday, 22 February 2019 10:05 AM

    Rather than trumpeting over 2600 year civilisation and foremost custodians of Theravada Buddhism no end, we need to take a hard look at ourselves and our attitudes towards animals and try to eliminate certain practices which are routinely followed that inflict pain and suffering to some animals like the elephants. Being chained so tight and just enough to move feet on elephants at peraheras and not providing safety measures for elephants at railway tracks are two such instances. The British MP should be congratulated for making the SL authorities to open their eyes.

    perera Friday, 22 February 2019 10:37 AM

    During Uva rebellion,British commander at Matale fort, had his breakfast , while watching prisoners hanging to death

    sacre blieu Friday, 22 February 2019 11:30 AM

    So much so for the huge spending budget to promote tourism in SL. Confusion worse confounded, with all the debates and discussions taking place , with hardly a solution. If the elephants go , to way they do now, so will tourism. Far too much pandalling, garlanding, dancing girls, religious ceremonies, feasting etc., the cost of which is huge.

    jaya Friday, 22 February 2019 11:32 AM

    Practical problem. there are more than 5000 elephants in 65,000 sq km in this country as well as 21 million people. How many of these countries in Europe has at least 5000 bears or other large animals? Yes, mistreatment should not happen but you can't keep large animals in captivity without restraints.

    K.L. Pathirana Friday, 22 February 2019 01:51 PM

    Many comments are just blaming the action of a single Englishman. Whether it was right or wrong doesn't matter on our present standings of wild elephant population. What matters is what actions have we taken as a society to protect the wildlife and animals rights in Sri Lanka and prevent them being killed ? Mahatma Gandhi said that "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

    Janaka from Matara Friday, 22 February 2019 02:46 PM

    Lankan elephants used to have big tusks. During colonial times from 1820 to about 1940s the bull tuskers were killed in thousands just for sport

    Channa Friday, 22 February 2019 03:32 PM

    OK , first you guys stop eating beef , pork , lamb and chicken . Those animals also have rights . Just because you can't eat , you talk about the rights of cats , dogs and elephants

    Dayawathie Friday, 22 February 2019 04:19 PM

    What about fox hunting by the Royal Family even today ?. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

    Himala de Silva Friday, 22 February 2019 08:20 PM

    Fine.... we'll agree with them, if they bring back the elephants that use to live in Mahaeliya (Horton Plains) for thousands of years till their prestiges Thomas Rogers, Prince Albert and others caused the genocide and wiped them out entirely.

    Himala de Silva Friday, 22 February 2019 08:21 PM

    Fine.... we'll agree with them, if they bring back the elephants that use to live in Mahaeliya (Horton Plains) for thousands of years till their prestigious Thomas Rogers, Prince Albert and others caused the genocide and wiped them out entirely.

    Janaka Nanayakkara Tuesday, 26 February 2019 04:17 PM

    During the colonial times, elephants were massacred for different reasons, it's a sad fact and today we cannot bring them back to life. What matters, what we do now to provide protection for those who are voiceless. So let's try to change animal cruelty into animal welfare. Practice LIVE AND LET LIVE. Respect all forms of lives and work on COMPASSION. My kind appeal is, live a Vegan life where no harm is done! The rest of the journey is smooth and tender.


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