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Censorship in Thailand


itsmedave

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Sad indeed. I like what Philly Mac says:

 

DaVinci Done In - Meddlesome Christians Get Their Way

Those God-botherers have managed to convince the Royal Thai Police to have the final 10 minutes of the movie, The DaVinci Code, cut. Given that this group, a clutch of different denominations, represents less people in Thailand that can fit into the back of a pickup, we grudgingly commend them on their effort to sway the boys in tight brown. Perhaps they unleashed one those ranting evangelical types to argue on their behalf. Or perhaps they have a bunch of money behind them, as in the States.

 

And I found this to be worth a laugh: http://exchristian.net/godco/index.php

 

And that is what the Thai censorship laws are too, a laugh. The people* here should try to get that stuff changed. Heck, LoS is worse than Sillypore in many ways regarding this issue.

 

Cheers,

SD

 

* - By the people, I mean Thai citizens, not farangs. One thing the illegal immigrant protests re-enforced for *me* was that I resent non-citizens meddling into my country's business, so courtesy dictates that I follow the same rules. YMMV.

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I think the willingness to censor this movie has more to do with the Thai's view on religion than the influence of the Christians in Thailand.

 

Thai's regularly censor anything to do with Buddhism and the Monarchy so in their view, anything that besmirches (so say this Christians) a religion is very fair game for censorship or even persecution.

 

I don't agree with it, but I can see perfectly why it is happening in Thailand - par for the course.

 

Can you imagine what would happen to a movie that cast any doubt on the virtues of buddhhism?

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itsmedave, How would someone wanting to let his feelings about censorship of the arts get in touch with the Thai Censorship Board?

 

Secondarily, I find the idea of police making rules to be troubling. But not any more troubling than giving police officers a commission on collected fines. Then again, I don't pretend to know how to run a country.

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If you do a google search under "Thai police", you will find a link to the royal Thai police which administers the censorship board. On that site there is an online "complaint page" from which you can send them a message in English.

 

But, hot off the presses, they have overturned their decision (by a vite of 6-5) and Da Vinci Code WILL be shown uncut starting tomorrow. Thanks to all those who helped!

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It seems they won't be cutting the movie...

 

Censors reverse tack, Da Vinci Code approved

 

BANGKOK: -- The police censorship board has upheld the appeal of film distributors, and will allow The Da Vinci Code to be shown uncut and unchanged.

 

"The panel voted six to five to keep the movie as it is," said James Dhiraputra of Buena Vista International, the company which made the appeal.

 

Just one remnant remains of the censorship. Exhibitors must show a disclaimer at the start and end of the film stating that it is fiction. Christian groups have protested against its thesis that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children.

 

The decision reverses a decision by the same board 24 hours previously, which ordered that the film's last 10 minutes be cut, and changes made to the subtitles and opening.

 

Protestant groups had urged that the film be banned or at least cut. The major Christian church in Thailand, the Catholics, have made no public comment on the controversial film.

 

According to Reuters, the evangelical Christian alliance which brought the censorship request accepted the final decison. "We respect the ruling," Thongchai Pradabchananurat, chairman of the Protestant Coordinating Committee told the news agency. "We have already expressed our feelings in this case and we will just have to forgive."

 

Foreign film critics, allowed to see the film for the first time today, just 24 hours before it opens in Thai theatres, roundly and apparently unanimously panned it.

 

Reuters reported that at a press screening late on Tuesday in Cannes, members of the audience laughed at the thriller's pivotal moment, and the end of the $125 million picture was greeted with stony silence.

 

"'Da Vinci' never rises to the level of a guilty pleasure. Too much guilt. Not enough pleasure," said Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter. Other critics agreed.

 

Lee Marshall of Screen International told the news agency: "I thought it was plodding and there was a complete lack of chemistry between Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks."

 

For 24 hours, Thailand was the only country on Earth which agreed to censor the film. After the Tuesday decision by the film censorship board, the distributors appealed - and won.

 

Pol Maj Gen Somwong Lipiphun, who serves as chairman of the censorship committee, told reporters this evening that the film "can be screened without any cuts," a total reversal of Tuesday's censorship.

 

--Bangkokpost.com, Agencies 2006-05-17

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The Bible is a 'collection' of stories so called written by the apostles. Proven is the texts are written in different time periods covering a few centuries so they cannot be only of the apostles.

 

Discovery and National Geografic both cover docs that dont sustain the Da Vinci Code. The Discovery investigation is not very deep but concludes Brown's main points are BS and NGeo is sort of no. no but: Mary Magdalene possibly went to Saint Mary de Mer in France after Jesus' death.

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The premiere is tonight at the Cannes festival, and yesterday it was -finally- shown to the critics and journalists.

All, without exception, call it the worst done movie of the year, overhyped, bad acting, etc.....

Just reinforces the old cliche that the book is always better......

 

Will probably see it, after the main rush..... its a good murder mistery after all, no?

 

BB

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Will probably see it, after the main rush..... its a good murder mistery after all, no?

 

Looks like an "I'll wait for the HD-DVD or BueRay Disc" for me.

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