A few days ago, some activist groups and the media began to announce what seemed to be expected and very good news: that China would suspend this year the Yulin festival, for which 10,000 dogs are killed each year to sell and eat their meat. , or at least the sale of dog meat would be prohibited this time.
The news began to be replicated, perhaps because practically everyone sincerely wishes it to be true. But the truth is that there is still no official announcement from the Chinese authorities or the local government of Yulin, and there are several indications that dog meat could still be sold at the festival.
The announcement of the ban was made on social networks by activist groups such as Humane Society International and the Duo Duo Project, which for years have been fighting to end the killing of dogs on the occasion of this festival, and which in 2016 delivered a petition with 11 million signatures calling for the consumption of dog meat to stop.
According to these organizations, a reliable source from the Chinese government confirmed that the sale of dog meat would be prohibited on June 15, and thus the festival, which takes place every year on the 21st of that month, could not take place.
However, media such as the BBC and The New York Times reported having contacted restaurants and merchants in Yulin to ask them about the measure and they replied that they had not heard anything about it, and that they believe that this year the festival will take place. completely normal. “Whoever wants to eat will continue to eat. Why is dog meat different from that of any other animal?” the owner of one of the restaurants told the BBC.
So, will the sale of dog meat be suspended at the Yulin festival this year or not? We do not know yet. The Change.org petition to stop the festival is closed for the moment, and it remains to be seen if the news is confirmed.
Why was this announced without the measure being confirmed? One hypothesis is that the Yulin government intentionally wanted to spread the rumor around the world to clean up its image, but did not really intend to carry it out so as not to lose popularity locally. Others believe that the sale of meat will be banned, but announced locally much closer to the festival date (a Chinese activist who did not disclose her name told Channel New Asia). For many, activists were quick to break the news.
An important fact is that, even if what was disseminated by animal organizations is really confirmed, it would not be a definitive measure, but a temporary ban during the festival. Restaurants in Yulin and other parts of China serve dog meat every day.
Will the sale of dog meat really be suspended this year in Yulin? Surely we all wish so, but we will have to keep waiting to see if it is confirmed.