Cut the hypocrisy over elephants

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013
Cut the hypocrisy over elephants

Prime Minister Yingluck is quoted as saying, "No one cares more about elephants than the Thai people."

 

Reading Yingluck’s disgusting comment got me thinking that, if instead of using her government to intimidate the Elephant Nature Park (ENP), how nice it would have been if she had visited the park and learned how elephants are really treated. Lek, the founder of the ENP, could have introduced Yingluck to the elephant whose eyes had been poked out by its previous “caring” owner. Then Lek could have shown Yingluck the film that would have taught her how baby elephants in Thailand are routinely tortured for days by these “caring” people. And all this torture is legal because those elephants are “domestic”. (I’m really starting to hate that word!)
To be fair, some Thais do care about elephants. Lek is Thai. But clearly the people in power (that includes you, Yingluck) don’t care, or these barbaric atrocities against elephants would not be tolerated for one more minute.
Eric Bahrt
Pattaya