Thais protest PornHub ban, digital minister says ban will promote “good values”

After the popular free porn website “PornHub” was blocked, a group of people protested the ban outside the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society office at the Government Complex in Bangkok’s Chaengwattana district. The ministry recently blocked access to PornHub and 190 URL addresses linked to porn.

Porn is illegal in Thailand and digital minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta says the move to block was just a crackdown on cybercrime after he got complaints from parents, monks and teachers about the sexually explicit content widely available on the internet.

But some say a certain video of “someone” as well as another video allegedly involving an MP were leaked onto the website which led the government to ban the entire website. The minister says the ban has nothing to do with leaked clips. He says blocking the pornography sites will promote good values and morals, improving Thai society.

Regardless of the reason, protesters say sex is natural and should not be censored. Many protesters are active in the pro-democracy movement, but the PornHub rally was organized by a group called the Anonymous Party.

Protester Pakorn Porncheewangkul told the Associated Press that he doesn’t see how blocking pornography websites will improve Thai society. He says illegal prostitution is widely practiced in Thailand. He also points out that many illegal gambling websites have not been blocked.

“Previously, we have seen many adult websites shut down, but not many gambling websites, which has destroyed good relationships in many family institutions more than pornography sites.”

Pakorn also says protesters are also bring up other laws regarding sex related products and the sex industry, such as the ban on sex toys.

“Another subject we will be discussing today is why the possession of sex toy devices and the concept of prostitution are considered scandalous and illegal when, ironically, one of the countries main income and worst kept secrets has always come from sex tourism.”

SOURCES: Pattaya News | Bangkok Post