Tag: Censorship

Judge Rejects Hong Kong’s Bid to Ban Pro-Democracy Song From Internet

Media Library

The Hong Kong authorities suffered a surprising setback on Friday when a judge denied their request to ban a popular pro-democracy song from the internet. The government was seeking an injunction that could have given it the power to force Google and other tech companies to restrict access to the song. Since coming under the tighter grip of Beijing several years ago, Hong Kong has jailed political opponents, quashed street protest and shuttered pro-democracy newspapers. But the internet, unlike in mainland China, has remained largely free of government control. At…

“Glory to Hong Kong” Injunction Ruling Will Be Made Next Week

Media Library

A Hong Kong judge said on Friday that he would rule next week on a government request to ban a popular pro-democracy song from the internet, in a case that could force Google and other companies to restrict access to the song. At issue is “Glory to Hong Kong,” which was the anthem of the 2019 protests that ended with Beijing taking tighter control over Hong Kong. The authorities argue that the song is an insult to China’s national anthem and could make people believe that Hong Kong is an…

‘Chinese agents could be following me’, says Australian artist at centre of censorship row

Media Library

Australian consular officials in Poland will attend the opening of an exhibition in the country’s capital by Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao on Friday, to send a message to Chinese authorities who have allegedly tried to stop the show going ahead. On Wednesday, Australia’s ambassador to Poland, Lloyd Brodrick, met Shanghai-born Australian artist Badiucao, as well as executives from the museum where the show is being held, Warsaw’s Ujazdowski Castle, Center for Contemporary Art (CCA Ujazdowski Castle). Both Badiucao and the museum allege that China’s ambassador to Poland, Yao Dongye, has visited…

China tries to shut down Australian artist’s show promoted by image of cannibalistic Xi

Media Library

A Chinese-Australian artist has called for more support from the Australian government after Chinese officials tried to shut down his latest show in Poland. The artist, who goes by the name Badiucao, is due to launch his latest exhibition at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw on Friday. <gu-island name="TweetBlockComponent" deferuntil="visible" props="{"element":{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement","html":" #Breaking 🇵🇱 @u_jazdowski art center ‘s website is briefly down for unknown reason.The art center is hosting my new exhibition #TellChinasStoryWell on June 16.Yesterday Chinese embassy visited venue again to express complain against the show.…

Uyghur student convicted after posting protests video on WeChat

Media Library

A Uyghur student who was detained in Xinjiang in December after posting a video on WeChat of the “white paper” protests has been convicted of “advocating extremism”. Kamile Wayit, 19, was detained in Atush on 12 December the day after returning home from university in Henan, a province in central China. She has not been heard from since, but last week a spokesperson from China’s ministry for foreign affairs confirmed to the Economist magazine that Wayit had been sentenced on 25 March “for the crime of advocating extremism”. The spokesperson…

Hong Kong Asks Court to Stop Protest Anthem From Circulating Online

Media Library

After “Glory to Hong Kong” emerged as the unofficial anthem of pro-democracy demonstrators in 2019, the government of Hong Kong has tried to stifle its use. It has banned the song from schools. When it was played in error last year instead of the Chinese national anthem at a rugby match in South Korea, the Hong Kong government demanded an investigation. This week the authorities asked a court to ban the public performance and online dissemination of “Glory to Hong Kong.” The move could ensnare U.S. technology companies like Google…

Chinese censors remove protest site Sitong Bridge from online maps

Media Library

Chinese censors scrubbing the internet of any words or symbols that could be used to reference the Tiananmen Square massacre in the run-up to Sunday’s anniversary have a new target in their sights: a bridge in Beijing where a rare protest was staged last year. As the 34th anniversary of the 1989 massacre approaches, anyone searching in Chinese for Sitong Bridge on Baidu maps will draw a blank. On 13 October 2022 white banners with large red characters criticising the Chinese Communist party (CCP) were hung over the bridge near…

Comedian Uncle Roger has social media accounts suspended in China

Media Library

British-Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger has had his social media accounts in China suspended amid a crackdown by authorities on comics making fun of the authoritarian government. The comedian, whose real name is Nigel Ng, said over the weekend that his accounts on Bilibili and Weibo, where he has 400,000 followers, had been suspended due to a “violation of relevant laws and regulations”. Both Ng and his followers suggested it was due to a clip he had posted on western social media days earlier. The clip, a promo for an forthcoming…

Beijing tells foreign embassies to remove ‘politicised propaganda’

Media Library

Foreign embassies in Beijing have been asked to remove “politicised propaganda” from their buildings, apparently a reference to the Ukrainian flags that many missions have displayed on their exterior since the Russian invasion. The notice from China’s foreign ministry, sent on 10 May, said: “Do not use the building facilities’ exterior walls to display politicised propaganda to avoid inciting disputes between countries,” according to Reuters. Four Beijing-based diplomats interviewed by the news agency said “politicised propaganda” was a reference to the Ukrainian flag. The notice was addressed to “all embassies,…

China Fines Comedy Company $2 Million For ‘Insulting’ the Military

Media Library

Beijing fined a Chinese comedy studio around $2 million on Wednesday for a joke that compared China’s military to stray dogs, a reminder of the ever-narrowing confines of expression under the country’s leader, Xi Jinping. The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau accused a popular comedian, Li Haoshi, who is employed by the studio, of “severely insulting” the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military, during two live performances in Beijing on Saturday. The authority said his joke had a “vile societal impact.” “We will not allow any company or individual to…