Posting Porn Link Judged Unlawful in Hong Kong

hkxforce writes "Can you imagine posting a link to a website that would get you arrested by the police? In Hong Kong, a middle-age man has been heavily fined for posting a porn link in an adult discussion forum. 'A court in the Kwun Tong district of the city heard that Woo provided a hyperlinked message on the forum which, when clicked, would enable other forum users to access an overseas pornographic website showing the photos. But Internet Society chairman Charles Mok Nai-kwong said the court case raised several concerns. 'In this case, the court has given a new direction to the public concerning the responsibility of internet users,' he said. Mok added that he also believed the case could damage the freedom of information on the internet. 'This man posted a link on the internet which now becomes an act that constitutes the breaking of law, and my question is whether a link is being regarded as the 'obscene article,'' he said.'"

Comments

Ain't surprised.

[GomezAdams]

Remember this is in Communist China. The press loves to tell us that China is now post-communism since it allows citizens to own businesses. There is still only one political party there, they have very strict policies against just about everything. And very strict punishments for all the offenses. And anything can be considered a crime if you cross the local CCP representatives. There is very little of what most of the rest of the world consider to be basic personal rights allowed there. Sure they can earn and make more money than before but the economy is still centrally controlled and the government has it's hand in the till to build up it's military and maintain it. The People's Liberation Army is there to keep it's citizens in line (Tianamen Square), not to keep people out of the country who want to enjoy having their lives being controlled and being threatened with punishment for just about any action we take for granted. The Chinese do not have freedom of press, speech, religion, freedom to gather in groups unless it is approved, due process of law, and ownership of anything can be revoked by the Communist at any time for any reason.

Remember this when you buy all that cheap Chinese stuff at the stores that it is helping to maintain what is in fact a slave nation.

Re:Ain't surprised.

[Watson Ladd]

They are not communist or socialist anymore. They are keeping the name, but betraying the principles. "From each according to ability, to each according to DEED" lasted for about 1 day after the revolution in China.

Re:Ain't surprised.

[erbmjw]

Not really -- they are in semi-autonomous Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_administrativ e_region_(People's_Republic_of_China)#High_degree_ of_autonomy

Currently, the two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for all issues except acts of state like diplomatic relations and national defence: consequently, they have their own judiciaries and courts of final appeal, their own legislature, immigration policies, currencies and extradition processes. The pre-existing legal systems, namely common law in Hong Kong and Portuguese law in Macau, are preserved except consequential to establishment of courts of final appeal. With listed exceptions, national laws applying in the mainland do not apply in a SAR. These listed exceptions must involve diplomacy, national defence or something beyond the scope of the SAR's autonomy.

The laws of Hong Kong are based on a mixture of British law and Chinese law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_of_Hong_Kon g

IANAL --- but I did live in Hong Kong for a while trust me in Hong Kong you want to buy/rent/watch porn or go to a strip club to see naked women -- no significant problems.

Re:Ain't surprised.

[tksh]

No, this is not Communist China; this is bloody Hong Kong. You know, former colony and now special administrative region with its own law and mini-constitution, you know, based on British common law, you know, where courts swap judges with Australia on multi-year loans.

I know you have an axe to grind but this isn't the story for you to sneak it in. This is about a judge making a stupid decision and a lot of people in Hong Kong getting worried about the interpretation of old obscenity laws on modern circumstances. Let's talk about that instead OK?

Re:Ain't surprised.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the most moronic statement I've read on Slashdot all month.

Hong Kong is a seperate, autonomous state of China (and China itself isn't even communist anymore, but that's a seperate topic). Until 2047, it's using Britain's system of law.

Hong Kong is the freest economy in the world. It's pretty much the biggest finance centre in the world. It upholds free speech and British law. It is not "communist China".

Although this case is ludicrous and Hong Kong's government should be shamed for it.

Re:Oh Yeah?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you don't think that is porn then you missed the full photoset. In fact, that is gay porn. Other images show him with buttplugs and other sex-toys.

Re:Yes, I can.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm Canadian and when I was in junior-high I had a friend from Romania. His mom would give him playboy magazines for his birthday. We all thought she was the coolest mom ever.

Re:Nothing new...

[haraldm]

If you're German (if!) then you should think twice before starting to talk such rubbish in the public (I don't mind if you do this in your bathroom, though).

1. Most households already have a TV set before they buy a computer. In this case you are likely to pay the monthly fees already. The vast majority of private households is not affected by classifying computers as TV receivers. You don't pay twice. Nothing to write home about.

2. Running fora in Germany is not forbidden, even not de facto (and certainly not de jure). Otherwise heise.de would have had to close down already.

But I don't think you got the facts right to begin with.

Next time don't post anonymously, coward.

Re:red car district?

[falconwolf]

So he should be held accountable if he had pointed the way to a church too, then?

Not all religions, er churchs and other places of worship, are banned or illegal. Both Christianity and Islam are practiced, in the open, in China. While there is religious persecutions in China and the authorities discourage religion they haven't made it illegal.

As for TFA, it's ironic the newspaper the TFA comes from is in United Arab Emirates which bans porn. Like Iran and other countries, the UAE has banned Flicker because some photos are considered bad influences.

Falcon