It’s not just ‘1984’…

Let’s not forget that the Stand News prosecution also dragged Kafka’s The Trial into the proceedings…

In another article, a literary blogger called the city “Kafkaesque,” saying more ridiculous reforms would take place after the implementation of the national security law, including the introduction of secret police, secret trials and secret crimes.

Ng said those claims were groundless since “secret police are not a reality, crimes are explicitly defined in our laws, and the idea of dying in prison is purely fictional.”

Chung said it is common to cite literature in opinion articles, and the blogger used novelist Franz Kafka’s work as a metaphor to express his concerns about the national security law.

“But this article could incite hatred towards the national security law, do you agree?” Ng asked.

“No,” Chung replied.

These NatSec cases are humiliating to Hong Kong – hence the outraged press statements demanding that overseas officials stop slandering the legal system. You have to wonder how long it will be before they start holding them in secret, to hide such absurdities as criminalizing references to novels about totalitarian regimes.

Chow Hang-tung’s mitigation in full.

Australian courts also having embarrassing problems

Court today was crazy. The NSW Police official Chinese translator tried to argue that my “Fuck Xi Jinping” protest sign basically meant that I wanted to have sex with Xi. They wanted a literal translation. BRUH, HOW.

Not interested in the movies side of the Oscars – I have yet to see Sound of Music and Titanic – but hopefully I will get round to EEAAO some time. Meanwhile, a great thread contrasting Janet Yang/Donnie Yen and Quan Ke Huy/Michelle Yeoh.  

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5 Responses to It’s not just ‘1984’…

  1. Low Profile says:

    When defendants can be convicted of collusion but not allowed to know who they’re allegedly colluding with, we are part way to secret trrials already.

  2. Max Brod says:

    The difference is that Kafka had a sense of humour.

    And now a salutary Kafka tale for all you sad expats hanging on in boring absurd Hong Kong:

    “Alas,” said the mouse, “the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into.”

    “You only need to change direction,” said the cat, and ate it up.

  3. All Cretans are liars, says Epimenides the Cretan says:

    Weird Epimenides flex, from the government, really.

    The only logical way the Prosecution can truly prove the accusations of the NatSecLaw being like 1984 and Kafkaesque are groundless, thus securing the conviction is by dropping all the charges.

    Perhaps the new tourist slogan will be:
    “Our regime will lock up anyone who says we’re an authoritarian regime that will lock up anyone who says we’re an authoritarian regime.”

    It would certainly run better with the recent “eleven dodgy old conmen in cheap suits” marketing pics.

  4. wmjp says:

    Two arrested for allegedly having seditious books RTHK

    And they were only about sheep and wolves. Caution anyone with a copy of that seditious tract, the Bible…

  5. steve says:

    You really should watch Everything Everywhere All at Once. Unlike the other films you name, it’s a really good movie in addition to being a cultural phenomenon. And it truly is a belated validation of the Hong Kong way of making movies in the classic 80s-90s era: action comedy via Jackie Chan (who, prior to turning into a sour old patriot, was a truly great filmmaker), stream-of-nonsense via Chow Sing-chi (ditto), plus a vein of family melodrama via Ann Hui and others. It’s amusing that the western press has attributed the film’s mo lei tau tendencies to one of the director’s ADHD diagnosis, not realizing that it’s just a Hong Kong way of telling stories.

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