1200 Nepalese politieagenten bij massale offering dieren bij Gadhimai festival - Honderdduizenden dieren gaan gedood worden ondanks vele protesten

Nepal deploys armed police for mass animal

sacrifice

18-11-2009 My Sinchew, Malaysia


KATHMANDU, Nov 18 (AFP) - Armed police are to deploy to a village in the south of Nepal and alcohol has been banned there ahead of a mass animal sacrifice involving thousands of livestock, an official said Wednesday.

Chief district officer Tara Nath Gautam said he expected more than a million people to flock to the village of Bariyapur to attend the Hindu festival of Gadhimai next week, thought to be the world's biggest mass animal sacrifice.

Hundreds of thousands of goats, buffaloes, chickens and other animals are slaughtered during the festival, which takes place every five years and faces strong opposition from animal rights campaigners.

"We will have armed police stationed around the temple for the security of the people as well as hundreds of policemen and women inside the temple," Gautam told AFP.
"Around 1,200 police will be there and more are on call."

Gautam said he had banned the sale or consumption of alcohol in the area surrounding the temple until the end of the festival, due to take place on November 24 and 25.
"If we find anyone with alcohol, we will arrest them and take legal action," he said. "We have taken this action to ensure the festival passes off safely and people can carry out their religious activities in peace."

Many people travel from neighbouring India for the festival and animal rights activists have called on authorities there to prevent the movement of animals across the border.

The government in Nepal has refused to bow to campaigners' demands for the festival to be stopped, saying it is a centuries-old religious tradition.

(Bron: http://www.mysinchew.com/)