Opening old wounds

       Senators clash over new regulations to permit cockfighting on Saturdays and weekdays
       A Senate committee yesterday |criticised a new Interior Ministry policy that permits cockfighting on more weekdays and every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, saying it encouraged animal cruelty and gambling.
       Animal cruelty, gambling
       Truengjai Booranasomphob, head of the panel on religion, ethics, arts and culture, said the cockfighting policy would create greater public obsession with gambling. "The ministry should have sought input from animal rights activists to prevent issuing such a one-sided policy to permit the blood sport," she added.
       Former senator Wallop Tangkhana-nurak, however, said gambling on blood sports was no longer a problem among teenagers, who had turned their attention to illegal betting on football, leaving cockfighting to the older generation.
       "Fewer and fewer people are interested in cockfighting or horseracing. I think the increase in the number of days permitted for cockfighting will not affect youth," he added.
       Wallop said he was more worried about children's boxing, which he compared to cockfighting's status as a cultural phenomenon rather than a profit-driven practice. He said rules concerning age limits, health and welfare of child boxers would need to be altered to prevent children being exploited or endangered physically and mentally.
       Possible tax windfall
       Senator Warin Thiamjaras was of a different opinion, saying that though the policy might increase gambling, legitimate cockfighting events would generate more revenue at both national and local levels. "Tax income could be increased by issuing a regulation that all betting be done through den operators rather than owners of the gamecocks," he proposed.
       Issued on August 6 after Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul visited an event promoting cockfighting, the new policy came into effect on Monday and permits cockfighting every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, and on national holidays which have no religious or royal significance.
       Unlike previous rules, which allowed open-ended fights to the death, the new rules stipulate that fights must last no longer than eight 20-minute "rounds" with a 20-minute break bet-ween each. Fish fights are also allowed in cockfighting dens, which can |operate a number of rings as per the approval of local authorities on a case-by-case basis.