[Reader-list] Sri Lankan Army war crime Video footage - News Channels responsibility

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Murali

My answer to that would be straight. Any information being provided to
someone must be based on some rational or objective reason. In the case of a
small child, the advise is given to ensure children, particularly female
children but also male children, are not sexually exploited. And the
information is passed onto them, not in the form of 'sexual exploitation'
but in the form of 'this is wrong' or 'that is wrong'. Again, one has to be
careful while using such kind of language or understanding. And the
rationale is as what you said, and what I did agree with, that maturity
levels must be a consideration.

I think you have got some wrong notion, because I did agree with your
contention. What I added onto it was simply that there should be allowance
to show such a video, but that a warning must also be given. Most
importantly, the idea of educating children was not what I said. What I
meant was that children must be given information based on their maturity
levels, and in cases where they have to be kept informed, that too must keep
their maturity levels in mind.

Also, I would not like people to be hid away from such facts at all times.
There is a certain age at which we would have to ensure that children (read
those below 18) are educated about such things. For example, many surveys
now state that teens are having sex before reaching the adult age of 18, in
case of which sex education and other things would have to be given.
Similarly, even children at ages of 10-12 are now observed in these surveys
to explore pornographic sites. They may be immature, but that does not mean
we shouldn't explain to them what it means.

In other words, I am not for censorship. What I am is making children or
teens or any citizen understand the implication of their actions, if
possible in proper language, if not (due to poor maturity levels or other
disabilities) then through other means or in some different ways.

But there is rarity of a difference in my and your points. Therefore, I
don't see why we should be arguing. I agree, such videos should have a
warning/disclaimer.

Regards

Rakesh