Pig sacrifice can’t hide behind tradition

06 February 2015

The pig's hoofs are tied with ropes

By Nguyen Tam Thanh

Each year on the sixth day of the new lunar year, thousands of people gather in Nem Thuong village in Vietnam’s Bac Ninh province to witness the brutal sacrifice of two pigs.

After the frightened animals’ throats have been slit, they are then decapitated so that the crowd can rub money in the animals’ blood for good luck for the New Year.

While Vietnam is world-renowned for its vibrant culture and traditions, the bloody superstition of the Nem Thuong pig slaughter festival is not something in which the country can take pride.

To try to excuse this overt cruelty as being part of Vietnam’s traditions is not acceptable. There is no cultural value in perpetuating animal cruelty. Not in Vietnam, not in any country.

Culture and traditions develop over time. Those aspects of our societies that continue to be relevant and acceptable are carried forward, while those that stand at odds with our values are discarded.

The process is an integral part of progress and development.

The Nem Thuong pig festival has also been proof of this in the past, having disappeared in the early 20th century only to be artificially revived in 1999.

While banning animal sacrifice in Nem Thoung village would have a negligible effect on Vietnam’s rich and diverse culture, the perpetuation of the medieval practice has a very real negative effect on Vietnamese society and the country’s international image.

Tourism is one of Vietnam’s biggest industries earning the country more than $9 billion annually. International tourists are increasingly voicing their concern about animal cruelty in Vietnam, with thousands signing petitions online to end the animal sacrifice of the Nem Thoung festival.

If Vietnam wants to have a culture and traditions it can be proud of, to continue growing the enormous potential of its tourism industry and to become a modern nation with a role to play on the world stage, then it must be ready to leave behind archaic and cruel traditions such as the Nem Thoung pig slaughter festival.

One ongoing newspaper poll shows that the country is ready to do just that. In the poll on VNExpress, which has attracted more than 40,000 vots, 79% of voters agree that pig slaughter should not be allowed to continue to masquerade as tradition in Nem Thuong.

The Lunar New Year – an integral part of Vietnam’s customs and identity – will continue to be celebrated in Nem Thuong and across the country. It will be marked by the laughter of children and warm family gatherings. The occasion, which we Vietnamese hold close to our hearts, should not be marred by the squeals of frightened animals and blood stained money.



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