5 laws that only exist in Asia
To westerners, laws in Asia are downright wacky. However, they exist for important reasons – even if they are considered outdated and unnecessary.
Here’s a roundup of the strangest head-scratching laws that have only ever existed in Asian countries.
1. Look after your elders – or else!
In China, there is a law that requires grown children to visit their parents, which was enacted in 2013.
Under the Elderly Rights Law, older parents must have their “spiritual needs” met and cared for and adults must “never neglect or snub elderly people.”
2. No money on the ground
In Thailand, it is considered so offensive to step on money that it is illegal. In this Asian country it is taken as a form of disrespect towards the king, lèse-majesté, since the money features a picture of the royal.
3. No games for kids
Under Cinderella Law, children under the age of 16 are prohibited from playing online games between midnight and 6 am in South Korea.
This regulation was made to tackle the increasing video game addiction. However, sneaky children can forgo this rule by logging into their parent’s online account or even play offline.
4. The whole family will be punished
North Korea reportedly has a seriously disturbing law in place which is dubbed as Three Generations of Punishment. This means if one person was to break the law, a whole family can face trial and be convicted to work in a prison camp for their family member’s crime.
5. Don’t dress up as a woman
In Malaysia, they have anti-trans laws which makes it illegal to “impersonate a woman.”
This rule is considered harassment of Muslim trans woman, according to Human Rights Watch.