83 Sri Lankan's explicit photographs made public in police attack despite editors' refusals to publish

By J.A. Fernando

Sri Lankan Police Flag

Colombo, 10 November, (Asiantribune.com):

Despite leading newspaper’s refusing to publish the porn star photographs, Sri Lankan Police has issued 83 porn star images yesterday to all media organizations in the country with a view of seeking help from public to take them into custody. Among those images there are 81 of women and 4 men’s images.
Asian Tribune earlier on November 6th published 11 porn star pictures which are supposed to be taken from local porn websites.
However, all national dailies had refused to print the photographs except for the Lakbima Sinhalese newspaper, which published the 27 porn star mugshots at the bottom of page two on Tuesday, without any reference to the accusations against them.
Meanwhile the country’s largely circulated daily newspaper has also refused publication of these pictures according to AFP.
"We were given the photos with a request to publish them, but we decided not to," Chief Editor of the mass circulating Sinhalese daily, the Lankadeepa, Siri Ranasinghe reported to have said to AFP adding that it is a question of privacy of people and that no one doesn’t know who these people are and under what circumstances the police got the pictures.
“Technology can be used to manipulate pictures, so we decided to leave them out." Mr.Ranasinghe reported to have said to media.
AFP reported that the government has also ordered the removal of bill boards featuring scantily-clad women and launched a campaign to discourage the use of alcohol and tobacco in conservative Sri Lanka.
Authorities say the wanted individuals were found portrayed on 180 Sri Lankan pornographic websites that have since been blocked by telecommunications regulators.
The Police Women and Children's Bureau had issued these pictures in line with its earlier announcement of publishing the photographs of those who had posed on local porn websites, according to an order by the Colombo High Court.
The police department say that punishments in relation to porn should be made harsher where as the current laws in Sri Lanka are too little. In Sri Lanka the Obscene Publications Ordinance of 1983 clearly states that, anyone involved in distributing, exhibiting or advertising obscene matter, can be fined Rs. 10,000 and leads to face a three month imprisonment.
The Sri Lankan police are banning at least 100 porn websites on a weekly basis according to reports.
However, many other porn sites featuring non-Sri Lankans remain still available according to analysts.

[RAP: This a perverted attack on the civil liberties of every one of the people in these photographs, that will likely destroy lives and families. A number of the people in the photographs appear to be close to or below the meaningful age of consent and coercion cannot be ruled out in any of them. As such it is very likely that some of the people pictured are victims of crime and the police in Sri Lanka have forced and facilitated the publishing of photographs of those victims of crime and the crime scenes.

The so-called mug shots or "porn star" photos appear to have been taken in a much more amateurish setting, some of them it would seem, have been taken by adults engaging in mutually consensual sex and were for private use not publication. It is probable that some of the people in the photographs will not be aware that their photographs are in the public domain.

RAP hopes the people in the photographs are not found by the police and if they are they will find the support they need in their communities.

The editors who refused to publish the photographs are to be commended and the police and the editors who published them in their misguided, myopic and misanthropic campaign deserve the contempt of their communities.]

http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2010/11/10/exclusive-sri-lankan-83-porn-stars-now-public-despite-local-newspaper-editors%E2%80%99-refus

Police chief vows to crack down on anti-monarchy campaigners as his top priority

Wichean: A serious concern

Response is intrigued. The police chief doesn't see lese majeste as just one of his priorities to be integrated in to the work of a senior police officer, but as his main priority.

Ordinary Thai people will not see the benefits of an accountable, professional service or of police who see their jobs as being to protect and serve those who pay their wages. He will not be prioritizing security, interpersonal or anti-social crime, not the ravaging effects of drug use on inner-city communities, not trans-border people smuggling or corruption. Under his leadership, their will be a focus on prosecuting people with " the full wrath of the police force" for disagreeing with him.

In a quick search it is difficult to find the priorities of the police forces of neighbouring countries and Response's language skills wouldn't be up to it if they were. Further afield; and the whole of the first page of Google results for "policing priorities" are from regional British police so in this case we're talking about the UK, the priorities are quite different. The publicly stated priorities of the British police include the following: to "make communities safer", to "deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public", "reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drugs", "tackle terrorism and violent extremism", "tackle serious and organized crime". Never one to advocate blindly for the police, but Khun Wichean's priorities are seemingly less specific, except on his one main priority. It seems that if the Thai's are looking for a police service, they've got a way to go yet.



http://www.hertspa.org/committees/14140504/14148539/14187452/
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/204171/wichean-takes-it-personally

UN raises worries over Timor police

"UN special representative for East Timor, Ameerah Haq, praised the general stability in the southeast Asian state but raised concerns about policing and the commuting of prison terms for some involved in the unrest.
"Public confidence in the state's willingness to support the rule of law and human rights can be adversely affected if the public perceives that individuals in high profile cases are given favored treatment," she told the Security Council.

Haq said she raised the "concern" with Ramos-Horta after he lifted jail terms against those convicted for February 11, 2008 attacks against him and the prime minister, and some soldiers convicted for killing eight police officers in the 2006 troubles."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/202212/un-raises-worries-over-timor-police

Chiang Rai student arrested for selling Abhisit flip-flops

"After the arrest she [the boy's mother] tried to talk to the police officer who made the arrest and who was the same person who had searched her house after the first arrest in July, but she was told that he had to follow orders."

Those brave defenders of the people.

"According to the police record, the police investigator considered that the selling of flip-flops printed with the face of the PM was improper and against the good morals of the public.  He warned the suspects to refrain from this action.  The police will conduct an investigation, and if their action is found to be against the law, the suspects will be prosecuted."

How ironic that the Thai Police would take it upon themselves to defend the public's morals.

http://www.prachatai3.info/english/node/2092

Live Ammunition for Indonesian Riot Police

Police in Indonesia are now allowed to use live ammunition for riot control, with a new regulation intended for use against uncooperative and violent protesters.

Clare Atkinson spoke with SBS' Indonesia correspondent Rebecca Henschke about the new rules.

http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/world-view/episode/117912/Live-ammunition-for-Indonesian-riot-police

WA police too reliant on tasers: CCC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/04/3029074.htm

The Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) has found there is a serious over-reliance on tasers within the West Australian Police Service... there were concerns about the disproportionate use of tasers against indigenous people.

(See Also: http://www.taser.com/Pages/default.aspx, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/IOR41/023/2010/en , http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/049/2010/en (death following Taser use)

32 Myanmar nationals are arrested in Bangladesh

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=388625&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24

"Some 32 Myanmar citizens were arrested for entering Bangladesh illegally through different borders in Lama sub-district of southeastern hill district of Bandarban yesterday and on Sunday evening. "

Emboldened Burmese Workers Press for Change

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19472

Bangkok’s migrant labour policy shift stemmed from an endless stream of reports in the media and by labour and human rights organizers shedding light on the scale of abuse the undocumented migrant workers were subjected to by Thai employers and Thai officials, including the police.