NLA deliberates child porn bill

[Lite Beer]

NLA deliberates child porn bill

BANGKOK: -- Fifty assemblymen yesterday proposed an amendment to the Criminal Code seeking to impose heavy punishment for people having in possession child pornography.

It was the first bill ever proposed by the NLA members led by Ms Jintanun Chayasuphamitre to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday to amend the Criminal Code which has been in force for a long time.

According to the proposer, her amendment to the Criminal Code was to toughen the country’s stance against child pornography as child porn is against basic children’s rights in accordance with the convention on the rights of the child.

Ms Jintanun told the NLA that while the reproduction of adult porn violates the Criminal Code, it is reasonable to introduce tough measures regarding child pornography.

She said the amendment states that people who possess pornography involving young people aged between 15 and 18 will face a fine up to 30,000 baht and/or a jail term up to three years.

Violators who have pornographic image of children aged under 15 in their possession will face a fine up to 100,000 baht and/or a jail term up to five years.

People who produce pornography of young people aged under 18 for sale whether it be in the country or for export will face a fine up to 140,000 baht and/or a jail term up to seven years.

She recalled a failed attempt eight years ago when over 20,000 people signing a petition supporting a child pornography bill to protect children but was not pushed through.

After a lengthy deliberation, the deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said that since change to the Criminal Code which is a core criminal legislation is significant it needed time to look into its impacts on other laws or whether it duplicates other existing laws in use.

He asked for 20 days before returning the bill to the NLA for approval in the first reading.

NLA president Pornpetch also said the NLA would have to allow the government to study the bill before the members cast their votes.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nla-deliberates-child-porn-bill

-- Thai PBS 2015-02-20

[brucec64]

They pass a 2.5 trillion baht budget unanimously, in a single session, without even reading it, but have to think about child pornography. This rubber-stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight.

[jonclark]

It really makes me sad when punishment is a fine or jail term. Surely fines should be limited to minor offences - traffic violations etc. Screw fines for producing kiddy porn - Jail should be the one and only option. The assumption that a fine is a deterrent is simply incorrect

[DM07]

I am looking forward for the great RTP, swooping through the vendors at Sukhumvit, to imprison them, for selling child pornography- CDs...

Edited February 20, 2015 by DM07

[retell]

Get it off the stalls , malls , internetsales etc. I'd impose even harder fines and longer jailterms for people selling it ,

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[barry51]

Lets see how the TVF barstool warriors turn this topic into a Thailand bashing thread

First post on this thread is an insult to anyone who condemns a country that allows child pornography to be openly sold on the streets on Bangkok. I wonder why.

Just because someone likes to drink in a bar does not mean your post is in anyway more valid than theirs.

[djjamie]

They pass a 2.5 trillion baht budget unanimously, in a single session, without even reading it, but have to think about child pornography. This rubber-stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight.

One is an annual budget while the other is an amendment to the criminal code on a very serious issue. They are not the same thing.

Had the Junta rushed through this amendment some would be saying they do not take the issue seriously enough to give it any time to scrutinize. Maybe after the 20 day review they might triple the fines and increase the jail time by double? That is a good thing right..

Well done on the Junta for taking this issue seriously by taking the time to ensure this amendment is done correctly and with due process. Imagine the reaction if they rushed it and had to amend it again. bruce64 would be the first to say in reaction to this "This rubber stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight"

Have a lovely day my friend.

Edited February 20, 2015 by djjamie

[brucec64]

They pass a 2.5 trillion baht budget unanimously, in a single session, without even reading it, but have to think about child pornography. This rubber-stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight.

One is an annual budget while the other is an amendment to the criminal code on a very serious issue. They are not the same thing.

Had the Junta rushed through this amendment some would be saying they do not take the issue seriously enough to give it any time to scrutinize. Maybe after the 20 day review they might triple the fines and increase the jail time by double? That is a good thing right..

Well done on the Junta for taking this issue seriously by taking the time to ensure this amendment is done correctly and with due process. Imagine the reaction if they rushed it and had to amend it again. bruce64 would be the first to say in reaction to this "This rubber stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight"

Have a lovely day my friend.

I agree that scrutiny is required before rubber-stamping important legislation.

However, the budget is the single, most important piece of legislation that any government passes. This rubber-stamp government passed it without even a debate. So, by your logic, the NLA did not take the most serious piece of legislation seriously. Two things we agree on. I guess where our agreement ends is that I find it hard to give kudos to this appointed rubber-stamp assembly that is not aknowledged as legitimate by most of the international community.

Edited February 20, 2015 by brucec64

[jaltsc]

"People who produce pornography of young people aged under 18 for sale whether it be in the country or for export will face a fine up to 140,000 baht and/or a jail term up to seven years."

How about the people in possession of the young people themselves under 18 for domestic sale or export? Or the Parents who sell them? Or the brokers who act as middle men?

This looks good on paper and I am not criticizing the legislature in promoting this bill. However, without an effective governmental enforcement agency, this might result in little more than a public relations promotion that appeases international organization who target Thailand and other countries in the region where this trade is common.

As it stands now, sex tourism is the one thing TAT can count on, no matter what the economy is in the West or the East. Sort of ironic that the only accurate statistics they might be in possession of cannot be published and used as a baseline to demonstrate success in the future for stopping this trade.

Edited February 20, 2015 by jaltsc

[noodle]

I can see 2 areas for abuse here:

1) definition of child

2) definition of porn

I see post sees an18 year old as kiddy!!!!

Old enough to kill for you govt but still a kiddy:)

[bassman]

There is nothing to debate, child porn is WRONG!

[Dogmatix]

How will they get evidence that actors in porn films are between 15 and 18 years old, unless they can locate them?

[timewilltell]

It really makes me sad when punishment is a fine or jail term. Surely fines should be limited to minor offences - traffic violations etc. Screw fines for producing kiddy porn - Jail should be the one and only option. The assumption that a fine is a deterrent is simply incorrect

I do sort of agree but you need to have flexibility because language, especially Thai language, is very difficult to define. So for instance the word 'production' could cover the person who recruits or forces the child and also a sound producer who syncs the audio to video in a studio who never meets the child. Obviously the sentencing should be much harsher for the former than the latter. That said sometimes the mentality of the judgements does not exhibit a full understanding of the principles of law and certainly most lawyers have trouble with principles.

[Nickymaster]

They pass a 2.5 trillion baht budget unanimously, in a single session, without even reading it, but have to think about child pornography. This rubber-stamp assembly needs to get it's priorities straight.

they never read the bill before they passed it? How do you know that?

[djjamie]

There is nothing to debate, child porn is WRONG!

Correct and no will be debating it.

However since changes to the Criminal Code which is a core criminal legislation is significant they need time to look into its impacts on other laws or whether it duplicates other existing laws in use. It is written in the article as well.

There is no time needed to look at the question "is child pornography wrong". That is a given.