{"id":934158,"date":"2021-10-28T18:44:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T22:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=934158"},"modified":"2021-10-28T18:44:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T22:44:41","slug":"hong-kong-legislature-outlaws-movies-that-threaten-national-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hong-kong-legislature-outlaws-movies-that-threaten-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong Legislature Outlaws Movies That Threaten \u2018National Security\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhong-kong-legislature-outlaws-movies-that-threaten-national-security%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=934158&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\"><span>Hong Kong\u2019s Legislative Council, commonly known as LegCo, on Wednesday passed a bill that empowers local officials to ban movies \u201cdeemed contrary to the interests of national security.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Some of the city\u2019s Beijing-controlled authoritarian legislators wanted to extend these censorship powers to cover online videos as well, fearing the Internet could become a \u201cmajor loophole\u201d that allows films to accumulate even more viewers by touting themselves as \u201cbanned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cWe hope the bill will commence as soon as possible, to enhance the film censorship system and to plug the loopholes,\u201d Commerce Minister Edward Yau <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.rthk.hk\/rthk\/en\/component\/k2\/1617184-20211027.htm\"><span>told<\/span><\/a><span> legislators.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18488562\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"35\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1185486990.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18488562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1185486990.jpg\" alt=\"Hong Kong&#039;s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau speaks to journalists after a meeting at the Government House in Bangkok on November 29, 2019. (Photo by Romeo GACAD \/ AFP) (Photo by ROMEO GACAD\/AFP via Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Hong Kong\u2019s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau speaks to journalists after a meeting at the Government House in Bangkok on November 29, 2019. (Photo by ROMEO GACAD\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Yau added a note of caution that expanding the bill to cover online videos would \u201cgo beyond the original intent of the ordinance, not to mention the technological and enforcement considerations.\u201d He&nbsp;<\/span><span>claimed the bill would have no great chilling effect on Hong Kong\u2019s film industry because most of the films it produces have nothing to do with national security.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These assurances are difficult to take seriously after watching the draconian \u201cnational security\u201d law imposed on Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party rapidly expanding to cover every bit of speech and political action the communists dislike.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>International human rights organizations are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/10\/25\/chinese-repression-forces-amnesty-international-to-close-hong-kong-office\/\"><span>shutting down<\/span><\/a><span> their Hong Kong offices because they fear anything they do or say could be construed as a \u201cthreat to national security.\u201d The regime has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/the-media\/2021\/06\/29\/hong-kong-journalists-we-are-afraid-police-have-list-us-persecute\/\"><span>driven<\/span><\/a><span>&nbsp;newspapers out of business and canceled television programs. Hong Kong officials have classified virtually all serious political dissent as dangerous to national security, especially if it involves anything that can be creatively construed as \u201ccollusion with foreign powers.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"7.6702508960573\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Office of AIHK ceases its operation on 31 October 2021. Amnesty will continue to monitor the human rights condition in Hong Kong and around the world.  Learn More: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tjtjtlEhYN\">https:\/\/t.co\/tjtjtlEhYN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WyRhcZF3q4\">pic.twitter.com\/WyRhcZF3q4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amnesty International Hong Kong (@amnestyHK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amnestyHK\/status\/1452563086938935297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 25, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Hong Kong filmmakers would be reckless to risk censorship by making provocative movies, and their financial backers will be reluctant to risk money on productions that could be blacklisted. The new law does not merely suppress the distribution of movies that allegedly threaten national security \u2013 it imposes penalties of up to three years in jail plus fines of about $130,000 in U.S. currency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The <\/span><i><span>Straits Times<\/span><\/i> <span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/asia\/east-asia\/hong-kong-to-pass-film-censorship-law-curbing-free-speech-again\">suspected<\/a> films such as Netflix\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt6333072\/\"><i><span>Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, <\/span><\/i><span>a documentary about student democracy activist Joshua Wong, would be targeted for censorship under the new law. Even before the new amped-up censorship bill was passed, movies about the 2019 pro-democracy movement were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nspirement.com\/2021\/06\/30\/censor-inside-the-red-brick-wall.html\"><span>suppressed<\/span><\/a><span> by invoking the national security law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cInspectors can search, without a warrant, premises showing a film, including company offices or a private members\u2019 club, and the Film Censorship Authority can demand more information about a screening under the new rules,\u201d the <\/span><i><span>Straits Times <\/span><\/i><span>noted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cLocal film censors may ask for up to 28 days to review films that may involve national security considerations. Filmmakers may not challenge the censorship body\u2019s decision, as the new legislation will bar the Board of Review from reconsidering decisions made on national security grounds,\u201d the <\/span><i><span>Hong Kong Free Press<\/span><\/i><span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/hongkongfp.com\/2021\/10\/27\/hong-kong-passes-bill-to-censor-films-contrary-to-chinas-national-security-hk1m-fine-3-years-jail-for-offenders\/\">added<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt is a treacherous climate for businesses having to make content decisions,\u201d Dr. Darrell West of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution said of the anticipated chilling effect from the censorship law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt is hard to imagine how film directors, executive producers and actors could stay politically neutral because China\u2019s definition of politics focuses narrowly on any opinion and action thought to be a security threat,\u201d warned Dr. Joseph Lee of the Global Asia Institute in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hong Kong\u2019s Legislative Council, commonly known as LegCo, on Wednesday passed a bill that empowers local officials to ban movies \u201cdeemed contrary to the interests of national security.\u201d Some of &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-934158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}