¡¡¡¡TOKYO, May 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A group of 11 countries in Oceania and Africa urged on Monday the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to allow resumption of commercial whaling.

¡¡¡¡On the first day of the IWC's annual conference in Shimonoseki,western Japan, the 11 developing countries, including Grenada, St.Lucia, Dominica, the Solomon Islands, and Guinea, stated their pro-whaling position, accusing anti-whaling members of denying them the right to develop.

¡¡¡¡The group branded anti-whaling countries such as the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand as an "axis of intolerance" to different cultures in the world.

¡¡¡¡They said the anti-whaling nations use a double standard of hunting wildlife for recreation on the one hand and opposing whaling on the other hand.

¡¡¡¡It also urged the IWC to revise the contribution system, which it said puts too much of a burden on developing members and prevents many other developing countries from being represented atthe IWC. Enditem

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