p2p news / p2pnet: Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) has barred an overseas-hosted gay web site and referred it to the police for investigation, and fined a local site S$5,000.

"The MDA has always adopted a light-touch approach and encourages the industry to practice self-regulation,” MDA spokeswoman Casey Chang told Reuters. “But in this instance, we received several public complaints and we have to act on the feedback.”

The story says the foreign-based site, “flashed explicit advertisements recruiting underage boys for sex, facilitated the trading and exchange of nude photos of underage boys, listed places to meet others for casual sex and provided information about organized mass orgies” while the Singapore site had "nude pictures and videos of gay men having sex which have since been removed," according to the MDA.

It claims both sites violated the Internet Code of Practice which, “prohibits sites from depicting ‘nudity or genitalia in a manner calculated to titillate’, and host materials advocating homosexuality or pedophilia”.

Homosexuality is, “illegal in the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state known for its tough laws and strict social controls,” says Reuters, adding:

“While the government has said that it does not discriminate against homosexuals, it has stated repeatedly that it would not tolerate an open gay culture, such as hosting gay parades or legalizing homosexual sex, saying that would offend conservative Singaporeans.”

Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win
- Mohandas Gandhi

Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local political representatives. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance.

See:-
Reuters - Singapore bans gay Web site, fines another, October 28, 2005
tough laws - Singapore student blog charge, October 27, 2005

This entry was posted on Friday, October 28th, 2005 at 1:47 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

HOME

Viewed 1386 times