"People are born naked," she said. "This is the art of women's beauty."
She also lashed out at critics of the project, asking them what they have done
for the cause. She defended the project, saying this was the quickest way to
raise money and get it to AIDS victims.
She dismissed suggestions that posing in the buff would set an example for the
younger generation to emulate, saying they can think for themselves.
"Not all people are stupid."
The undertaking brought some 30 models and celebrities to take nude pictures to
be featured at the Fame Erotica exhibition open to the public from April 5-9 at
CentralWorld.
The one-metre-square nude pictures are scheduled to be put up for bidding to
raise funds for AIDS patients at Lop Buri's Phrabath Namphu Temple and
Nonthaburi's Bamraj Naradoon Hospital.
It's not known if the Nonthaburi hospital would feel the same way about the
project as the temple.
Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sri-aroon called the project inappropriate,
as some photos and poses were provocative. She urged the celebrities to use
their fame in other merit-making methods.
Khaisri said she understood the models' and celebrities' wishes to act for a
charitable cause, raising money for AIDS patients, but the approach of taking
nude pictures - some reportedly struck suggestive poses as in pin-up calendars
- was not proper.
The celebrities already had the public glued to their every move, she said, and
should find another way to raise funds.
Prisana Pongtadsirikul, secretary-general of the National Culture Commission,
said that being charity-minded was good but their deeds should also be
responsible to the whole society. She said the ministry had been trying to
promote polite and traditional Thai-style clothing ahead of the Thai New Year
festival, so she would prefer these public figures to set good examples for
youths nationwide.
She said that they should have chosen other fund-raising activities and asked
why the celebrities did not take photos with their clothes on or wear Thai
clothing instead. She also suspected that this move might be driven by
commercial interests or was a PR stunt for the participants to gain more
publicity.
Ladda Tangsupachai, director of the Culture Watch Centre, said she understood
the good intentions of the organiser and celebrities but they might lack
cultural understanding that merit-making money should be earned from decent
methods and sources. She also expressed concern that the affair might confuse
young people who have been criticised for wearing revealing clothes.
Ladda also said that the case was discussed at a meeting of the committee for
safe and constructive media, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon
Wattanasiritham, and committee members just shook their heads in disagreement
with such a "benefit".
Former senator Rabiebrat Pongpanit, president of the Happy Family Association,
slammed the models and celebrities for resorting to taking their clothes off
for a good cause, which would create a bad example for Thai youths.
Rabiebrat said that she felt hurt that the famous people used charity as an
excuse to stoop to this behaviour. She said they should have done something
else.
"The monks [at Phrabath Namphu Temple] must feel uncomfortable to accept
donated money from this, but being Buddhist monks taught not to be choosy in
merit-taking, he would have to take it. This charity project is not a good
example. They don't seem to think things through," she said while urging the
Culture Ministry to act upon it.
Venerable Phramaha Samai Jintakosako from the Saeng Thian Foundation said that,
while helping AIDS patients was great merit, taking nude pictures was
inappropriate and against Thai culture and tradition. He said this even put
Phrabath Namphu Temple in a negative light because the money came from an
activity against good tradition and thus was "ungraceful" and a bad example. He
urged the project participants not to jeopardise the good image of Buddhist
monks who devoted themselves to caring for AIDS patients. He expressed concern
that if this could not be stopped, someone might produce nude VCDs to raise
funds for charity in the future.
