Hong Kong photographer arrested in Bangkok for trying to carry bulletproof vest onto flight

[Morakot]

Jul 31, 2014

Press Release

Washington, DC – Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA17) today introduced the Responsible Body Armor Possession Act of 2014, which allows law enforcement to respond to active shooters more effectively. It accomplishes this by prohibiting the sale, purchase, use, or possession of enhanced military-grade body armor by anyone who is not a member of law enforcement, active duty military, or other authorized users.

https://honda.house.gov/news/press-releases/responsible-body-armor-possession-act-keeps-military-armor-out-of-the-wrong

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/federal-ban-body-armor-proposed-congress/

[Seastallion]

Kwan is being charged under the Arms Control Act 1987, which prohibits the possession of military equipment without a licence.

I suppose if I tried to carry military binoculars, that I purchased from Ebay, on a plane I would be arrested.

Another thing...a civil charge, but to be tried in military court.

[tomacht8]

Maybe he does not trust the security checks at the airport.
Is already happened that people have their small handguns in their hand luggage.

[EnglishJohn]

I think the policeman carrying the loaded gun was a much more serious offence than this : has he been tried in a military court ?.

That little matter seems to have gone very quiet.

[dageurreotype]

"charged with possession of a illegal weapon"...

Yes, much like the Krung Sri bank manager being charged with 'giving shelter to illegal immigrants' after fourteen of the poor sods were found locked in cages on a farm he owns. He's out on bail BTW. This fcking country ..

[dageurreotype]

"charged with possession of a illegal weapon"...

Yes, much like the Krung Sri bank manager being charged with 'giving shelter to illegal immigrants' after fourteen of the poor sods were found locked in cages on a farm he owns. He's out on bail BTW. This fcking country ..

[SheungWan]

Welcome aboard sir:

[webfact]

COURT
HK photographer facing Thai jail for ballistic vest

BANGKOK: -- A Hong Kong photographer faces jail after he was detained for carrying a ballistic vest and helmet while covering the aftermath of last week's deadly shrine bombing, police said Monday.

Anthony Kwan Hok-chun, who works for the Hong Kong-based Initium media group, was held by police after trying to depart Suvarnabhumi airport on Sunday.

There was confusion early Monday about whether Kwan would face a civilian or military court and what he has been charged with.

A senior officer at Suvarnabhumi Airport told AFP the case would go to a military tribunal.

"We took this case, he will be charged with the normal process," Police Colonel Santi Wannarak said without elaborating.

But Kwan’s lawyer, Sirikarn Charoensiri, said the case was being handled by Samut Prakhan provincial court and that she was "waiting for court to order a pretrial detention and/or bail submission".

Since seizing power in a coup last year, Thailand’s junta have ramped up use of military courts, particularly for any crimes that are deemed national security cases.

"Still waiting at the airport police station," Kwan told AFP via text on Monday.

"All I know is I am going to court," he added.

Basic personal protection equipment commonly used by media around the world such as gas masks, ballistic vests and helmets are classified as weapons under Thailand’s Arms Control Act and have to be licensed.

But attempts by media groups over the years to seek permission from authorities to carry such items have fallen on deaf ears despite the country’s long history of deadly street protests and a festering Muslim insurgency in the deep south.

Until now, the ban on civilians and journalists carrying unlicensed equipment has largely been ignored.

International media have flocked to Thailand following last Monday’s deadly shrine bombing, which cut down 20 people, mostly Asian tourists, in the heart of one of Bangkok’s busiest shopping districts and wounded scores more.

No arrests have been made with the police scrambling to identify the perpetrators of an attack that has sent shockwaves through the country’s vital tourist sector.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand criticised Kwan’s arrest, adding that he faced five years in jail if convicted of breaching the Arms Control Act.

"Body armour and helmets used by journalists are not offensive weapons and should not be treated as such," the FCCT said in a statement.

The FCCT said it has previously tried to ask the Thai authorities to address the issue "so that journalists can purchase, import and carry adequate protective equipment".

It urged the junta to "find a solution."

During Thailand’s regular bouts of often violent street protests, demonstrators on both sides of the country’s political divide have been seen donning ballistic vests and helmets.

Journalists have also worn such protection during periods of unrest largely without falling foul of police.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/HK-photographer-facing-Thai-jail-for-ballistic-ves-30267293.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-24

[NickJ]

What about the actual weapons being sold eveywhere here. Switchblades Swords mace spray stun guns......

[theguyfromanotherforum]

While I enjoy a good bashing of Thai police as much as the next guy, I think it is important to realize there is a valid argument for this. You can argue the merits of it, but you should not deny its existence. Take this same thought to its extreme. A country develops an effective shield against nuclear missles. This is a purely defensive thing, just like a bullet proof vest. Do you think every other country would sit by and say, "That's OK."

Heck no, they wouldn't. They would scream bloody murder about how much this destabilized the global order and made use of nuclear weapons more likely. In the same way, possession of armored vests by certain groups increases the probability of the use of assault rifles. You can reasonably make the argument that he is just a journalist, but what if his illegal vest is stolen while he is in the country?

This is not the cut and dried ridiculous notion that most would naively believe. These types of defensive devices are categorized as weapons for a reason. It may not be a great reason, but it is a valid one in some circumstances.

Zzzzzzz

[abitmiffed]

Ha ha just getting prepared, next stop Bangkok.;-)

[norbra]

[...]

People wearing mouthmasks in the plane worry me more because i don't know the reason they wear it.

The way I see is that is one less person you need to be concerned about coughing without covering their mouth. It's a disgusting thing, it's where cultural sensitivity interferes with hygiene. I wish more people in this part of the world wore masks.

Could not agree more.FLew Scoot to Australia,seated opposite an air conditioning register,arrived with an unidentied viral infection in my sinuses,took 2 years of testing , various antibiotics and an operation to get rid of it.

[abitmiffed]

Ha ha just getting prepared, next stop Bangkok.;-)

[Just1Voice]

This is frigging asinine, but I can identify. On one of my bike trips in the past, I had a cop at a mountain checkpoint want to arrest me and confiscate my full riding kit, claiming it was illegal body armor. It finally took calling a superior officer to come to the check point and clear things up. To say the least, I was not in the best of moods by the time they finally let me go.

[Kerryd]

Sigh.

You are not allowed to wear a bulletproof vest on an airplane because it would make it harder to stop you from hijacking the plane. I'm sure most of you are aware that certain airlines often have a "sky marshal" onboard who may (or may not) be armed, usually with special ammunition designed to take down a person but (hopefully) not put a large hole in the plane at the same time. (The United States Federal Air Marshal Service tested and used the Glaser Safety Slug extensively in the 1970s and 80s on board commercial passenger aircraft to defend against hijackers. Air Marshals are now issued SIG Sauer P229 pistols with a 12-round capacity firing conventional-jacketed hollow point ammunition in .357 SIG caliber.)

Without a "sky marshal" it would be even harder to try and prevent a hijacker from doing his thing.

The other problem is, the plates are either steel or ceramic. Guess what that looks like on an X-Ray machine ? A big, dark mass of unknown material. That means someone who knows what they are doing has to inspect the plates and possibly test them. (Hmmm, I wonder what a large block of C4 shaped to look like a body armour plate would look like in an X-Ray machine ?)

I own military grade body armour - the best available on the civilian market. If I am travelling and need to take it with me, it goes into my checked baggage or it goes by DFS (FexEx, etc). I would not even consider trying to wear it onto a plane.

(And no, it is not with me in Thailand, though it would have been had I not made a trip back to Canada last year and left it there instead.)

(You'll probably find that the guy brought it to Thailand in his checked baggage, but tried to wear it on the way back as his luggage was full and he didn't want to pay for excess baggage.)

Edit - (Hmmm - looking at the 2 news articles again it doesn't say he was wearing or even carrying it so it's hard to tell if he did have it in his luggage. The headline here says he tried to carry it onto a flight so it sounds like he was trying to bring it into the cabin with him, not in his checked luggage.)

Edited August 24, 2015 by Kerryd

[dotpoom]

I always wear a winterjacket or thick vest in the plane because it's cold there, i don't see the difference with a bulletproof vest.

People wearing mouthmasks in the plane worry me more because i don't know the reason they wear it.

They usually wear face masks to stop the spread of a sickness they may have...germs etc.,. Quite responsible really, wish people in every country had the same frame of mind.

[CanInBKK]

Are well still allowed to wear protective jackets and helmets while riding motorbikes in thailand?

Unbelievable this will get the HK tourists back.

What a ridiculous thing to post. You either have poor reading comprehension or are just trolling.

Ballistic vests are designed to offer protection from bullets and are devices which must be authorized for possession. Whether or not you agree with the law is not the point of the original article.

Thailand is not the only country that does this, in this thread alone, Hong Kong and the U.S. also implement something similar.

The irony here is that it would seem the journalist in question doesn't have the proper paperwork for possession in HK as was described in detail by another poster.

[mmh8]

 

While I enjoy a good bashing of Thai police as much as the next guy, I think it is important to realize there is a valid argument for this. You can argue the merits of it, but you should not deny its existence. Take this same thought to its extreme. A country develops an effective shield against nuclear missles. This is a purely defensive thing, just like a bullet proof vest. Do you think every other country would sit by and say, "That's OK."

Heck no, they wouldn't. They would scream bloody murder about how much this destabilized the global order and made use of nuclear weapons more likely. In the same way, possession of armored vests by certain groups increases the probability of the use of assault rifles. You can reasonably make the argument that he is just a journalist, but what if his illegal vest is stolen while he is in the country?

This is not the cut and dried ridiculous notion that most would naively believe. These types of defensive devices are categorized as weapons for a reason. It may not be a great reason, but it is a valid one in some circumstances.

 

you'r funny

[mmh8]

possesion of bullet proof clothing does not = possesion of offensive weapon what ever country you are from.

\

I think in this case the point will be that face is lost when people feel unsafe in thailand.

however tit

someone seeing it on xray would have a look closer maybe for drugs if wearing or carrrying. possibility that it looks like military

I would like to see anyone wearing camo type clothing arressted too in this case. its in such bad taste to be wearing camo shorts, trousers, t shirt , hat etc.

Edited August 24, 2015 by mmh8

[a99az]

Possibly some big Bib trying to get some payback with the HK police

[a99az]

Are well still allowed to wear protective jackets and helmets while riding motorbikes in thailand?

Unbelievable this will get the HK tourists back.

What a ridiculous thing to post. You either have poor reading comprehension or are just trolling.

Ballistic vests are designed to offer protection from bullets and are devices which must be authorized for possession. Whether or not you agree with the law is not the point of the original article.

Thailand is not the only country that does this, in this thread alone, Hong Kong and the U.S. also implement something similar.

The irony here is that it would seem the journalist in question doesn't have the proper paperwork for possession in HK as was described in detail by another poster.

What a crock of b...s... why should you need a licence to own a jacket made of anything!!!! Only police etc can protect themselves now.

[laislica]

Are well still allowed to wear protective jackets and helmets while riding motorbikes in thailand?

Unbelievable this will get the HK tourists back.

What a ridiculous thing to post. You either have poor reading comprehension or are just trolling.

Ballistic vests are designed to offer protection from bullets and are devices which must be authorized for possession. Whether or not you agree with the law is not the point of the original article.

Thailand is not the only country that does this, in this thread alone, Hong Kong and the U.S. also implement something similar.

The irony here is that it would seem the journalist in question doesn't have the proper paperwork for possession in HK as was described in detail by another poster.

Did you read post #44?

[Kawapete]

I wonder if there's a law against how many times officials can make own goals in this country....

[arjunadawn]

I always wear a winterjacket or thick vest in the plane because it's cold there, i don't see the difference with a bulletproof vest.

People wearing mouthmasks in the plane worry me more because i don't know the reason they wear it.

I have traveled around the world for decades with body armor. Body armor has two primary plates, rear and front, and made of composite materials, Kevlar,etc. Often it has an additional chicken plate ballistic steel over the heart. Body armor is not a bulletproof vest. Body armor is illegal in numerous places. Level IV, for example, can stop a direct hit with 7.62x39, though multiple strikes in same place bye bye. Most bulletproof vests generally stop 9mm, but depends. Then flak jackets deflect shrapnel rather than stop direct penetration of ammo. Lots of places have laws about this. What did he have?

I have always had to break my body armor into pieces, and the carrier, and hope I was not questioned. In the places where I was I would hope my skill-set explanation would explain it. But I was always aware there was a possibility of breaking a law here or there, even in the us (which I think has similar laws in various states).

[webfact]

Hong Kong journalist held in Bangkok for body armour

BANGKOK: -- A Hong Kong photojournalist is out on bail in Bangkok after he was held for carrying body armour and a helmet while reporting on the recent bomb blast.

Anthony Kwan Hok-chun was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport when boarding a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday. The items were found in his luggage.

Thai law prohibits possession of military equipment without a licence.

He may face a charge of carrying an illegal weapon, and could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34038395


-- BBC 2015-08-24

[Kasset Tak]

From Wikipeidia:

Australia[edit]

In Australia, it is illegal to import body armour without prior authorisation from Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.^[72] It is also illegal to possess body armour without authorization in South Australia,^[73]Victoria,^[74] Northern Territory,^[75] ACT,^[76] Queensland ^[77] & New South Wales.^[78]

Canada[edit]

In all Canadian provinces except for Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, it is legal to wear and to purchase body armour such as ballistic vests. Under the laws of these provinces, it is illegal to possess body armour without a license (unless exempted) issued by the provincial government. Nova Scotia has passed similar laws, but are not yet in force.

The Netherlands[edit]

The civilian ownership of body armour is unregulated in the Netherlands and body armour in various ballistic grades is sold by a range of different vendors, mainly aimed at providing to security guards and VIP's. The use of body armour while committing a crime is not an additional offense in itself, but may be interpreted as so under different laws such as resisting arrest.

The Netherlands[edit]

The civilian ownership of body armour is unregulated in the Netherlands and body armour in various ballistic grades is sold by a range of different vendors, mainly aimed at providing to security guards and VIP's. The use of body armour while committing a crime is not an additional offense in itself, but may be interpreted as so under different laws such as resisting arrest.

So different rules in different countries and that is a thing we have to accept, just because it's legal in our home country doesn't mean that it's legal in the rest of the world.For example:
You can buy a gun in US without a permission, try to do that in UK.

In US its legal to gamble, that's illegal in Thailand and my home country Sweden.
In US it's legal with prostitutes, in Thailand it's actually against the law! If they would follow that law to 100% then Pattaya and Pukhet would be clouded for business!

And finally just for laughs: http://yesiyesighana.com/new-us-visa-rules-bulletproof-vests-required/

[harada]

Are well still allowed to wear protective jackets and helmets while riding motorbikes in thailand?

Unbelievable this will get the HK tourists back.

. Wait for it, HK tourists up by 30%

[SupermarineS6B]

And just when you thought we'd reached the height of stupidity ............ Arresting a guy for trying to protect himself in Dodge City......... I'm waiting for the, "Were going to arrest all prostitutes in the country" statement......... It'll come considering the recent verbal garbage...........

[webfact]

Foreign Reporter Charged for Possessing Body Armor
By Khaosod English


Photojournalist Anthony Kwan arrives for his bail hearing today. Photo: Colleen Murrell

BANGKOK — A reporter from Hong Kong charged with possessing body armor was released on bail today and has been forbidden from leaving the kingdom.

Anthony Kwan, a reporter with Hong Kong startup Initium Media, was arrested yesterday at Suvarnabhumi Airport when an X-ray scan discovered body armor and a helmet in his luggage, according to Police Col. Santi Wannasak of the Samut Prakan Police Station.

"He has been sent to stand trial at Samut Prakarn Provincial Court," not the military court, as earlier reports suggested, Santi said. "He has been granted bail. His bail condition is that he cannot leave the country. The court set this condition, not the police."

Under the Military Equipment Control Act of 1987, possessing protective body armor is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in jail.

Kwan, who was in Bangkok covering the bombing of the Erawan Shrine for his media firm, was not aware of the law when his company sent him the armor to wear for his protection.

According to his personal website, Kwan lived in the U.S. state of Minnesota and began a career in photojournalism in 2011. Last year he was in Hong Kong covering massive street protests there.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1440408556


-- Khaosod English 2015-08-24

[diehard60]

I did not know that body armor was a weapon never mind an illegal one.