From an article in MoCo.News I followed a few links to read that the wives of seven senior government officials in Cambodia want the government to ban camera phones, according to an article in the People’s Daily Online (that reports an article in The Cambodian Daily).
The wives sent a petition to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to ban cellular phones that can take photos and videos because they could be used to send improper photos and destroy the country’s culture, the People’s Daily Online says. Hun Sen’s wife signed the petition along with the wives of Cabinet Minister Sok An, former National Assembly president Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Supreme Curt President Dith Monty, according to The Cambodia Daily.
The People’s Daily Online reports the petition warned, “We are all very concerned that bad people will use modern communication and information technology in the wrong direction and it will make a serious negative effect on morality and social welfare.”
“The petition asked the government to ‘seriously punish’ anyone found to be using the phones to attract men into sexual relations by sending them explicit pictures,” the People’s Daily Online says.
Banning possible
Not every Cambodian official thinks banning is a good idea. The Bangkok Post, referring to The Cambodian Daily article, says Cambodia’s information minister Khieu Kanharith was against the ban. He said, “Then we should also ban using a car because they can also use that to transport a girl.”
But in a radio address, Hun Sen said, “The Philippines and Vietnam are against debauchery through the Internet. Singapore is also against it. So yesterday I called (Minister for Telecommunications) So Khun and told him please do not allow these phones," according to the Bangkok Post.
Hun Sen told So Khun to “wait another ten years until we strengthen social morality, otherwise even Buddhist monks might fall down….This is a very modern technology.” Hun Sen said he wants Cambodians to use phones only for voice calls and text messaging, not for accessing the Internet
The People’s Daily Online reports So Khun said he hadn’t received the petition, but would ban the phones if the Prime Minister ordered it. The Cambodian cellular operator MobiTel, is slated to offer 3G phones — with video capabilities — next month, the article says.
More than just morality?
MoCo.News has an interesting perspective on whether a ban would be just for morality issues. “The other issue is political activism — mobiles have already been used in a number of places to organise rallies and to spread grass roots political campaigns, and cameraphones have been used to report on numerous incidents of state violence and/or oppression.
“The complaints in the petition are not restricted to 3G, previous generation handsets can also do that…the petition demands banning mobile phones with pictures.”
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