BEIJING, June 2 -- Fudan University set up an ethics committee yesterday to protect laboratory animals' welfares and rights, Oriental Morning Post reported today.

    Chen Nengneng, the head of the committee, said it aims to regulate the ethical treatment of laboratory animals and demands researchers treat the animals mercifully.

    The committee was set up after some international publications turned down papers written by teachers and students from pharmaceutical college in the university, because they lack the ethical check on laboratory animals, Chen said.

    Researchers should treat laboratory animals as follows:

    *The living space for laboratory animals should meet the standard;

    *Animals can't be starved, dehydrated or fall sick;

    *Use other methods instead of testing on animals if possible;

    *Train dogs, cats and monkeys before experiments to reduce their dread and upset;

    *Kill the animals mercifully after the experiments if they can't be recovered;

    *Treat the animals kindly and mercifully and be grateful to the animals.