09.05.09 Alongkorn told to cool it after ruckus in Patpong
Source: Bangkok Post
The Democrat Party has put the brakes on Deputy
Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot's crackdown on retailers of
pirated goods and has asked him to target the producers instead.
Alongkorn: Asked to target producers The move was announced yesterday by Democrat spokesman Buranaj
Samuttaraks, after some 200 traders from the Patpong area gathered at
the party's headquarters.
The vendors complained that Commerce Ministry officials had
over-reacted with their Wednesday-night crackdown on intellectual
property violations on Patpong Road.
"We will treat each side fairly," Dr Buranaj told the traders.
The crackdown should be aimed at producers of pirated goods as they
were the root cause of the problem, and it should be made sure that any
action taken would not hurt tourism in anyway, said the spokesman.
The Democrats will meet to discuss the matter again next Tuesday, in
a bid to find softer ways to deal with traders selling pirated goods in
Bangkok.
Wednesday night's operation ended in a brawl when traders clashed
with officials who confiscated the illegal goods, mostly counterfeit
bags and clothes, and loaded them into four vans.
About 10 officials were injured in the melee.
The traders were aware of their wrongdoing, but said they want the government to adopt a more peaceful approach.
Mr Alongkorn, who heads the state's anti-piracy campaign, previously
said the ministry would deal harshly with intellectual property
violators by launching raids every two days. The Patpong shopping area
would not be spared.
The deputy minister, who is visiting South Africa, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Meanwhile, the police have set up an inquiry panel to question Bang
Rak police chief Pol Col Ekachai Bunwisut, as Patpong falls under his
jurisdiction.
He has been heavily criticised for turning a blind eye to piracy in
his district, said Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Worapong
Chewpreecha.
But no senior officers have been transferred from Bang Rak district so far, deputy city police chief Wiboon Bangtamai said.
Preventing the sale of pirated goods is a police officer's duty, but
the force deals with the matter in a different manner from commerce
officials, Pol Maj Gen Wiboon said.
Officers usually begin their action once they receive complaints
from manufacturers and then raid the production sites or warehouses of
the pirates.
"Arresting small street sellers would face resistance," he said.
Despite attempts to negotiate and warn the retailers, Pol Maj Gen
Wiboon said that sometimes the arrests also led to unexpected injuries
and deaths.
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