(L to R) Tim Gerrish, Mayor
Itthiphol Kunplome, British Ambassador Asif Ahmad, and BCCT Executive
Director Greg Watkins unite in their fight against child abuse.
Phasakorn Channgam
A British organization that works worldwide to prevent
children from being exploited on the Internet trained Pattaya social-welfare
officials Pattaya officials in its abuse-prevention methods.
British Ambassador Asif Ahmad, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome,
and British Chamber of Commerce in Thailand Executive Director Greg Watkins
were on hand as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s
International Child Protection Network (ICPN) coordinator Tim Gerrish led
the Oct. 26 workshop at Pattaya City Hall.
The seminar covered how to protect and care for people
who use the Internet, offering practical exercises in searching for and
identifying harmful websites and information. The organization follows up
initial training three and six months afterward and previously provided its
expertise to officials in Bangkok.
“If there is no education or online protection, you may
never know if tourists entering the city pose a threat or have ever sexually
abused a child,” Gerrish said. “This workshop is considered a benefit for
all trainees in learning and understanding online networks and how they
relate to children.”
The CEOP is responsible for the investigation, prevention
and suppression of violence and abuse against children through online media.
It is also responsible for providing knowledge and training to staff members
who work with children. Similar workshops have been run in countries
throughout Southeast Asia and, Gerrish said, last year’s Bangkok seminar
trained 400 social workers who have passed on their knowledge to create a
child-protection network of 4,000 people.
In addition to practical exercises on searching for
information and using multimedia equipment, the workshop offered lectures on
child protection and how to integrate their new knowledge into everyday
business operations.
