Claire Danes Joins Charity's Campaign to Stop Thai Elephant Torture
Bangkok —
Claire Danes, costar
of this summer's box office smash
Terminator
3: Rise of the Machines, took time out of her busy
schedule to sign a petition circulated by People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) U.S. urging the
Thai government to stop the ritualistic torture of baby
elephants for the country's tourism industry.
PETA U.S. is calling for a worldwide tourist boycott of Thailand
until the government takes action.
PETA U.S. is pressuring the Thai government to put an end
to the cruel training ritual called
phaajaan,
which was recently captured on an undercover video,
in which baby elephants are torn from their mothers;
confined to tiny wooden crates; deprived of food, water,
and rest; and beaten with nail-studded sticks in order
to prepare them for a life of servitude in one of Thailand’s
many "elephant camps." The elephants are used
as tourist attractions and forced to perform demeaning,
circus-style tricks and give rides.
"Appeals to Thailand's tourism industry and
government to stop the torture have fallen on deaf ears,"
says PETA Asia-Pacific representative Jason Baker. "We
believe that worldwide exposure of these atrocities
and the threat of diminishing tourist revenue will help
make them change their tune."
Claire Danes joins
Olivia Newton-John, Neil
Finn, Daniel Johns of Silverchair and others
in demanding action by the Thai government. PETA U.S. has
also organized protests at Thai embassies and consulates
throughout the world.
Broadcast-quality video footage of Thai elephant beatings
is available. For more information, to
view
the video footage, and to see the entire list of
celebrities who have
signed
the petition, please visit
HelpThaiElephants.com.
Click Here
to Download the Petition
(
PDF Format)
