Despite pleas from Vietnam’s Government to stop “violent and superstitious festivals” and the widespread condemnation of Vietnamese people - local authorities have announced they intend to continue to hold the Nem Thuong Pig Slaughter festival. 

The Nem Thuong festival traditionally sees a pig paraded through the town ahead of its public slaughter, with villages dipping bank notes in the blood for good luck. The festival became a huge issue within Vietnam earlier this year - with 79% of Vietnamese wanting it ended.

Following the Prime Minister’s speech, which called for an end to “old fashioned, superstitious and negative” festivals, later the Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh echoed his statements saying:

“The ministry has decided that negative activities such as buffalo stabbing and pig chopping in festivals will be reviewed. In a country rich in tradition and culture, we cannot have the image of a pig being brought to a village centre for hundreds of people to witness its head being cut off and its blood pouring out – this is not suitable within a peaceful and hospitable country like Vietnam.” 

However, it was reported this week that the department of Culture Bac Ninh has sent a document to Ministry of Culture to report that Bac Ninh province will continue the pig slaughter ritual.

It followed a meeting between the local People's Committee, local Department of Culture, Provincial Authorities and village representatives. Between them they agreed the festival would go ahead but without the public execution.

Dr Tuan Bendixsen, Animals Asia Vietnam Director said:

“This is extremely disappointing after the statements of last year that this kind of festival was damaging Vietnam and would end. The only change that is apparent following discussions is that the pig will be killed in private. This does not change the extreme stress that the animal will face being tied up and paraded through the crowds first. We are not saying ‘end the festival’ - we are saying, ‘end the cruelty’.”

Animals Asia has also questioned the method of the slaughter of the pig. Vietnam is a signatory of the World Organisation for Animal Health which would mean that animal slaughter should be carried out only after animals are pre-stunned.

Dr Bendixsen added:

“We need to break the link between celebration and animal cruelty. Tradition and history don’t need to celebrated with violence and cruelty. It has become clear that people at all levels across Vietnam are unwilling to be represented by this event. We can always understand people working hard to maintain tradition but this insistence on cruelty is incomprehensible to the vast majority of people in Vietnam.”

The festival takes place on the sixth day of the lunar New Year. In 2016 that will be the second week in February.

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