French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.

Former French screen actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot wrote to WHO chief Lee Jong-Wook, urging him to ensure that the millions of fowl which face slaughter in Asia's bird flu scare be killed painlessly.

"Millions of chickens, ducks are being shoved into plastic bags, buried alive in ditches, crushed or burned... can this stop the spread of this terrible virus?," Bardot asked, according to a copy of a letter issued by her animal welfare organisation.

"If all these animals have to be killed, our duty is to limit their suffering," she said.

"They are not 'goods' to be liquidated, but millions of living, sensitive beings, and I would like your next recommendations to take this into account."

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