Watchdog's webboards bombarded by lewd links
Webboards at the Culture Ministry's website have been bombarded with hundreds of lewd web links, the Culture Watch Centre has found.
The centre found more than 500 sexually-explicit web links put up on webboards run by the ministry, which has been campaigning against obscene websites.
The on-line forums are intended to encourage discussion of travel, religion, ancient ruins, teens, entertainment and lifestyle.
The centre, which is attached to the ministry as a watchdog on cultural issues, said it was concerned about the links, because webboard readers included young people and many web links carried blatant names, such as sexy girls and sexy cowgirls.
The attack on the website comes a few days after the ministry said it was contemplating rating a romance novel.
The centre said some of the websites offered explicit porn photos and sex services. Many links had been posted since Dec 9.
The website, http://www.m-culture.go.th, could not be accessed last night.
Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sri-aroon yesterday admitted that inappropriate web links had been posted on the website.
She had ordered Thongchai Masattana, director of the IT centre, to explain why webmasters had failed to detect and screen out the saucy content.
Khunying Khaisri said the ministry is mulling rating various novels, particularly adult romances and translated novels.
Many complaints had come in about the ministry's bid to censor sex and erotic scenes.
Romance readers argued the erotic scenes were written in beautiful language and are not morally incorrect.
Khunying Khaisri said she personally agreed that censorship would spoil the novels.
Censorship could result in a double standard, considering the adult content of many Thai classics, such as Khun Chang Khun Phaen and Phra Apai Manee, she said.
In deciding on a rating system for romance novels, the ministry would invite artists, academics, writers, publishers and distributors to give their views.
The attempt to impose a ratings system is prompted in part by the arrest of two traders selling romance novels with erotic content at a book fair in October.
Bangkok Post Dec. 13, 2007