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Hong KongLaw and Crime

Showing naked images of children ‘not a big problem’ in Indonesia, top envoy in Hong Kong says amid footage row

But consul general urges helpers in city not to act ‘carelessly’ in posting such material

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A square in Jakarta, Indonesia. The country sends tens of thousands of domestic helpers to Hong Kong every year. Photo: Alamy
Ng Kang-chung

Showing pictures or videos of naked children showering is “not a big problem” in Indonesia, the country’s top envoy in Hong Kong said, blaming “cultural difference” for the arrest of an Indonesian domestic worker who live-streamed footage of her employer’s three bare-bodied children.

However, the consulate said it had asked Indonesian domestic helpers working in the city not to “carelessly” do so without permission or consent.

The comments were made in a written reply to queries from the South China Morning Post over the arrest of a 28-year-old domestic helper on Monday.

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She was charged by police on Wednesday for publishing child pornography and will appear in Eastern Court on Thursday.
Indonesian Consul General Tri Tharyat in Causeway Bay. Photo: David Wong
Indonesian Consul General Tri Tharyat in Causeway Bay. Photo: David Wong
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In a statement, Indonesian consul general Tri Tharyat said: “There’s a cultural difference between Hong Kong and Indonesia in expressing love to someone else’s children, for example, kissing or hugging children.

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