Japan, Southeast Asia to enhance efforts against sex crimes+

TOKYO, Nov. 25 Kyodo -
Representatives of crime investigation authorities from Japan and Southeast
Asian countries agreed Wednesday that they need to enhance multilateral
cooperation in tackling sex crimes, including child pornography and human
trafficking for sexual purposes.
A participant from Thailand said that around 25,000 children are sexually
exploited in the country and called for stepped-up international cooperation in
order to detect criminals, many of whom utilize the Internet and conspire with
organized crimes outside their countries.
A Cambodian official proposed that joint training sessions be held to help
improve measures for the protection of crime victims and share investigation
skills.
The seminar came amid ongoing discussions in Japan over whether to revise the
law banning child prostitution and pornography, as the country is often
criticized for its lax regulation in such fields.
Last year, the National Police Agency handled a record 676 violations of the
law. Japan does not criminalize the possession of child pornography itself,
prompting criticism from other countries.
Takahide Tatsumi, head of the NPA's public safety bureau, echoed the importance
of cooperation during the seminar so that Japanese authorities can crack down
on Japanese people involved in prostitution in Southeast Asia.
==Kyodo
2009-11-26 00:01:33