Timeline Photos
ACRES 
Dec 3, 2012 
ACRES, NGOs 
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Speech by Mr. Louis Ng, Chief Executive, ACRES
Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service for Wen Wen
A very good evening and thank you for joining us at the Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service for Wen Wen. And let us not forget the other two dolphins who have died as well.
On behalf of the dolphins, our heartfelt thanks to our friends in Jakarta and Yogyakarta Indonesia, Manila, Philippines and Bangkok Thailand for joining us as well.
Unlike most memorials, we are not here this evening to celebrate the life that Wen Wen had or to pay tribute to it.
We are here to apologise to him on behalf of Resorts World, for a precious life that was stolen from him and for the past four years of his life which he never chose.
It truly is tragic that Wen Wen was not just caught from the wild but that he died on a plane so far from home after being held captive for at least four years.
I never met Wen Wen personally, but I saw him being confined in the Philippines against his will. I saw him being trained and I saw him being fed a diet of dead fish which he was not used to. I saw him trying to cope with a life he never chose.
I have been to Wen Wen’s home in the Solomon Islands, I have seen what a beautiful home he lived in. I imagined him swimming freely in the vast open ocean, playing with his family members and friends and surfing the waves.
His freedom was, however, stolen from him. I cannot imagine what he felt as he was driven toward the shore, netted and held captive for at least four years. I cannot imagine what he thought of us humans and why we inflicted some much pain on him. I cannot imagine what was on his mind as he took his last few breaths.
It is not just us mourning the death of Wen Wen. While I cannot prove this, I have little doubt that his family and friends still being held captive by Resorts World are also mourning his death.
It is also not just Wen Wen and the other two dolphins who have died in this cruel trade. Scientific studies conducted in the Solomon Islands, where Wen Wen is from, have concluded that there is little doubt that several deaths occurred in the process of capturing the dolphins.
We are today issuing a final ultimatum to Resorts World. Work with ACRES and Earth Island Institute to rehabilitate and release the dolphins back into the wild, or next month we will launch a full-fledged boycott against not just Resorts World, but all Genting properties. We have tried our very best to establish a dialogue with Resorts World, but they have ignored our calls for meetings and turned a deaf ear to our concerns.
When is enough enough? What more will it take before Resorts World makes a moral and ethical decision to work with us to rehabilitate and release these dolphins back to the wild? Please, it is time to let them go home.
Wen Wen and the other 26 dolphins have done nothing to harm us humans, yet in the name of Education and Conservation we have robbed them of their freedom and inflicted so much pain on them. If this is what conservation is about then I am truly ashamed to be a conservationist.
To Wen Wen and all his family and friends, we tried our very best to fight for your rights and I apologise that we have not succeeded yet and that Resorts World continue to ignore our concerns. This fight is, however, far from over.
Wen Wen, I assure you that ACRES will not let your death be in vain. We will use every ounce of energy we have to fight this injustice, to speak up for the voiceless and to end this senseless exploitation.
But we need everyone’s help and support. We need you to not only condemn this exploitation but to become advocates for change, for positive change.
We need you to help spread the word and urge more people to speak up and take action. Take action to fight this injustice.
We may not be rich, but together and with one united voice, we will fight and we will overcome the odds and the dolphins will get their freedom back.
Remember, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.
Wen Wen rest in peace and at least you are free once again.
Thank you.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=466853536689500&set=a.203641033010753.47265.202965303078326&type=1
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