I must say I enjoyed this last edition of your newsletter particularly because it offered responses from your readers, but also because of the insight from Han Bi-ya on the correct attitude for relief workers. It is a deep insight from her and I hope you will convey to her my appreciation for it.

On the reader from Taiwan, Dennis Lamberg, he is simply wrong about the reason why most people, including many Asians like myself, have a profound resentment towards the treatment of dogs as edibles. The real reason is that dogs are seen as close companions to humans and that they are cute and lovable.

We do not need to be aware of the cruel way the meat is prepared to be disgusted. We are disgusted because dogs are familiar companions and that they are cute. I would challenge him to find me 10 people who know the cruel ways dogs are prepared compared to other meat. I may be an especially ignorant journalist but I was not aware of the cruelty involved in the preparation of dog meat, nor does it matter to me or to anyone else I have spoken to on this issue to make us find dog meat repellant. Even if the dogs are killed humanely (if there is such thing as killing humanely), many, many people will be disgusted with dog meat anyway.

Where I agree with him, and I suspect many people will agree with Mr Lamberg, is his statement that “This is an issue to take seriously, and not something that should be laughed away with talk of culture and tradition.” On that point, I agree with Mr Lamberg wholeheartedly and hope that the AsiaN will take note of that sentiment.

My best wishes to the THEAsiaN.

Ravi Veloo (Singapore)