Choices in Hong Kong to not exhibit a politically sensitive picture in a museum display and not broadcast the Yearly Academy Awards have prompted worries that Beijing’s crackdown on dissent from town is extending to entertainment and arts
HONG KONG — Choices in Hong Kong to not exhibit a politically sensitive picture in a museum exhibition, not broadcast the yearly Academy Awards for first time in years have prompted worries that Beijing’s crackdown on dissent from town is extending to entertainment and arts.
Hong Kong governments have taken a harder stance on resistance after Beijing’s imposition of a federal safety law on town, arresting prominent pro-democracy activists and participants at anti-government protests at 2019.
The twin statements on the Oscars and the picture came as China’s top legislature began deliberating a revamp into Hong Kong’s election legislation that would place more energy in the hands of a committee dominated by Beijing loyalists.
Henry Tang, head of the town’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, stated in a news conference Monday that there aren’t any plans to display a photograph in the opening of this town’s new M+ memorial by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei showing him holding up his middle finger in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
The conclusion prompted concern the safety law won’t only be used to quiet dissent but also to intervene in liberty of expression and art.
Tang ignored suspicion that the memorial had been under pressure to eliminate the picture, saying there were plans to add it.
“We’ve never intended for that picture to be contained at the opening exhibition, thus there isn’t any question that we’ve retracted it, or we’ve succumbed to stress and have altered it,” Tang explained.
“If some one of our functions or some of our activities contravenes such a law, I am convinced the law enforcement bureaus will get in contact with us and we’ll co-operate entirely together,” he explained.
Ai, the artist, wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Earlier this month, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said police were on”full alert” to make sure that exhibitions in town don’t violate the federal security legislation. Pro-Beijing lawmakers have stated that a few of M+’s art is sensitive and may be in violation of the laws.
Separately, public broadcaster TVB affirmed Monday it won’t broadcast this year’s Academy Awards service for the first time in years.
A report by local newspaper The Standard implied that previously critical remarks about mainland China from Chloe Zhao, the Beijing-born manager of nominated movie”Nomadland,” and the nomination of a brief documentary about the 2019 protests in Hong Kong might be connected to the decision to not broadcast the service this past year.
“TVB doesn’t have the broadcasting rights for Your Oscars 2021.
Old remarks by Zhao where she had been believed to be criticizing mainland China sparked outrage from the nation. Searches for”Nomadland” were blocked on the Chinese net, which can be heavily censored and filtered to wash content deemed sensitive by the authorities.
Under the proposals, the make-up of a committee which selects the leader could be altered, along with the committee could be given the capability to decide on a massive share of their legislature. The modifications are expected to decrease the percentage of lawmakers chosen by direct vote, even though specifics haven’t been published yet. ——
