The Smashing Pumpkins are currently hitting Pacific hotspots on their global tour in support of their new album, Oceania. And during their concert in the Philippines, they also supported PETA Asia's efforts to free Mali—an elephant who has been suffering for decades without companionship or sufficient care at the Manila Zoo—by offering PETA Asia space for an information table at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Mali and the Infinite Sadness

Thanks to the Smashing Pumpkins' kindness, concertgoers learned how Mali was taken as a nursing baby from Sri Lanka in 1977 and has spent about 35 years in a small concrete pen—33 of them completely alone. Following a sustained campaign in her behalf by PETA Asia, Philippine President Benigno Aquino issued a directive stating that Mali should be considered for transfer to a sanctuary after an evaluation of her health, but Manila city officials are stalling.

PETA Asia has secured a place for Mali at a sanctuary in Thailand, where she could have acres to roam, rivers to bathe in, fresh vegetation to eat, foraging opportunities, the company of many other elephants, and, of course, the care of elephant experts 24 hours a day. People attending the concert were able to sign PETA Asia's online petition right at the information table, as well as picking up leaflets and stickers to spread the word about Mali's plight.

What You Can Do

Even if you couldn't make the show, you can still help PETA Asia and the Pumpkins give Mali a smashing new life—just sign the online petition.

Although animal rights is still a fairly new concept in China and in much of Asia as a whole, there is no other country in which the movement is growing faster, and PETA Asia is at the forefront.

Notorious Fur Trade Exposed

PETA Asia has conducted groundbreaking undercover investigations of the fur trade in China—now the world's largest exporter of fur—and found that raccoon dogs are beaten with steel pipes and left to die slowly as they writhe in agony in full view of other animals and that rabbits' necks are broken while the animals are still conscious and able to feel pain. Millions of dogs and cats are also killed for their fur in China. This fur is often deliberately mislabeled as fur from other animals before it is exported to the West.

Battling the World's Largest Foie Gras Farm

While California is poised to outlaw foie gras less than a month from now, PETA Asia recently learned that there are plans to build the world's largest foie gras farm at Poyang Lake in China's Jiangxi province.

Birds raised for foie gras are force-fed up to 4 pounds of grain and fat every day via a pneumatic tube that is rammed down their throats. The birds often suffer from internal hemorrhaging, and they can become so debilitated that they can move only by pushing themselves along the ground with their wings. There are no penalties for abusing birds in China.

After PETA Asia and other groups protested, the British-owned company that is funding the foie gras farm's construction suspended its funding of the project pending further review. 

Harnessing Star Power

PETA Asia works closely with local activists and groups throughout China as well as with Chinese celebrities to help raise awareness of animal issues. For example, PETA Asia recently unveiled its first-ever Chinese "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad, which starred actor, singer, and writer Annie Yi. An exclusive video interview with Annie has been watched by more than a quarter-million people in China.

Photo: Chen Man|Makeup: Hang Yue

Chinese actor Li Xiaoran and Hong Kong model Cara G also spoke out against fur, and Cara starred in an Earth Day ad urging people to go vegetarian to help save the planet. Taiwanese pop star Show Luo teamed up with PETA Asia for an ad promoting animal adoption.

PETA Asia is also having a phenomenal impact online—from its Chinese website and blog to social media sites. A PETA Asia tweet about the Canadian seal slaughter got more than 15,000 retweets.

Want to Help?

Thinking about a career—and continent—change? PETA Asia is looking for smart, compassionate, hardworking people to join its team. If you speak Mandarin and are passionate about ending animal abuse—or if you know someone who meets those criteria—please check out PETA Asia's current job openings and send in your résumé.

For those of you want to remain stateside, you can help by checking out the action alerts page on PETA Asia's website.

After PETA Australia members took to the runway during a Melbourne Spring Fashion Week show, the show's organizers decided to pull all fur from the remaining shows.

No doubt worried that more protests would soon follow, Fashion Week organizers directed furry Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology student designer Molly Herben to remove the rabbit fur pieces from her show before they hit the runway. Another designer, Jack Loder, who had planned to show dresses made of impala fur and leather and trimmed with exotic feathers, also pulled his designs.

''As they stormed the catwalk, I thought, 'What does this mean for my work?''' said Loder. ''I spoke to [Fashion Week officials] the next morning and we agreed straight away: it's best if we just take it down.''

While members of PETA and our affiliates continue to educate the fashion industry via their own runways, you can help crush the cruel fur industry's profits by refusing to buy or wear any fur. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Putting on a demonstration can be challenging, but here in the U.S., we rarely run into the kinds of problems that protesters encounter in other parts of the world. Just ask our friends at PETA Asia about the difficulties that they sometimes face.

Earlier this year, Edward, a PETA Asia campaigner, was arrested before a planned KFC protest in Singapore. Not to be outdone, PETA Asia senior campaigner Ashley Fruno and a member of the South Korean group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth were recently detained by police in Seoul as they got out of a van and began a pro-vegetarian demonstration near the site of this week's G20 summit.

Don't worry, the daring duo is fine—although Ashley will likely be booted out of Korea soon. Fortunately, most of us don't have to worry about anything worse than occasional rain or rudeness when we hold a protest. For tips to make it easier, check this out.

Written by Jeff Mackey

A PETA Asia public service announcement (PSA) that's currently airing on prime time TV in the Philippines is generating quite a bit of buzz (you'll get the pun when you watch the PSA) because it features the late Philippine president Corazon Aquino—along with other world leaders, including Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mohandas Gandhi—"speaking" about peace and justice. But there's a twist. Check it out:

The ad was released in observance of International Justice Day and will be airing in the Philippines through the end of July. PETA Asia hopes that it will inspire viewers to give a voice to the voiceless.

What do you think? Does this PSA leave you howling or hooting or ...? Please show it to everyone you know. You can show it in a classroom, in an office, or online (by putting a link to it on your e-mail).

Written by Alisa Mullins

If you participate in demonstrations, you might have experienced a bit of frustration at the occasional rude comments or less-than-perfect weather conditions. Next time that happens, spare a thought for Edward, a PETA Asia campaigner who was arrested as he got out of a cab dressed as a chicken for a Kentucky Fried Cruelty protest in Singapore. Here's Edward preparing for another KFC demo in Malaysia:

Edward, who is originally from Seattle, was essentially placed under house arrest in his hotel room because Singapore has some very harsh and archaic laws against protests. He is expected to be able to leave Singapore as scheduled, without charges. He says that the interrogation was frightening, but that it is nothing compared to how KFC treats chickens. That's our kind of guy.

If you'd like to show solidarity with Edward, why not organize a KFC demonstration yourself?

Written by Jeff Mackey

What do you get when you mix actor Laure Shang (winner of the 2006 season of Super Girls, China's version of American Idol), gleaming body paint, and the pro-bono expertise of acclaimed photographer Zack Zhang? You get PETA Asia's bona fide animal-saving masterpiece:

In this "Shine for Animals: Spay and Neuter" ad, Laure is educating people by letting them know that "No one should bring more animals into the world when countless cats and dogs are suffering and dying for lack of a good home." Says Shang, "I urge everyone to be part of the solution by always spaying and neutering their animal companions."

Written by Logan Scherer

With the draft of China's first animal protection law in the works, change is on the way for animals. Introduced last year, the groundbreaking law includes basic legal protection for wildlife, companion animals, animals in labs, animals who are transported, animals used for entertainment, and animals slaughtered for food, but the first draft was vague in many spots.

Enter PETA Asia. After reviewing the first draft of the bill and offering suggestions to ensure that animal welfare standards be raised significantly, PETA Asia Director Jason Baker and contractor Christine Li attended last week's International Forum on Chinese Legislation for the Protection and Management of Animals in Beijing, where they were able to look at the current version of the draft bill.

Christine Li at the entrance to the conference.

Jason Baker intently focused on animal welfare.

Among the changes made to the draft were the following:

• A clear definition of humane euthanasia is included in the law.
• An emendation is included that encourages and permits the documentation of cruelty to animals—including undercover investigations—for the sake of prevention and education.
• Videos used to promote and encourage abuse are made illegal.

The tireless folks at PETA Asia are already hard at work on a new set of comments for the bill's latest revision. We'll keep you updated on the progress.

Written by Logan Scherer

China's fur farms—which supply more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the U.S.—are among the world's most barbaric. So writer Andy Best and local Shanghai artist Kaine Lv have turned up the volume on the Chinese fight against skins. The two DIYers recently teamed up with music promoter Split Works and rallied Shanghai's underground music scene to produce the city's first-ever PETA Asia photo shoot.

To celebrate the milestone, Best and Lv hosted an anti-fur concert at Yu Yin Tang—Shanghai's hottest rock venue—headed by indie sensation Candy Shop.

Best, Lv, and Candy Shop are proof that the grassroots approach to taking action is the fastest way to turn heads. We can't wait to see what the resourceful, compassionate folks in Shanghai come up with next to battle fur.

Written by Logan Scherer