A man in his 70s is arrested for displaying signs in a country park. Chan Ki-kau unrolled two scrolls containing a Lu Xun quote translated as:
Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers. Head bowed like a willing ox, I serve the children.
Lu Xun’s early 20th century works were removed from Central Library earlier this year as some sort of NatSec measure, as were George Orwell books. (Does Baptist U still have Lu’s portrait in its own library collection? Does Chinese U still have all his books?) He was a CCP member and, it says here…
The Chinese communist movement adopted Lu Xun posthumously as the exemplar of Socialist Realism. Many of his fiction and prose works have been incorporated into school textbooks.
The applicable parts of the Country Parks and Special Areas Regulations are presumably aimed at preventing commercial advertising. But maybe it would also get you in trouble if you had a ‘happy birthday’ banner at a kids’ picnic. Maximum penalty: a HK$5,000 fine and three years in prison.
And the UN Human Rights Commission experts voice concern against Hong Kong authorities’ mass trial of pro-democrats and arrest warrants against exiles…
“China should review its National Security Law to ensure that the law is in compliance with China’s international human rights obligations with respect to the Hong Kong SAR,” they said.
No response yet from the government.
The place with the most rampant censorship of books is Texas. It leaves Hong Kong standing.
Last year, there were 1,269 documented censorship attempts to restrict 2,571 unique titles – the highest number ever recorded by ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom and double the 729 book challenges made in 2021.
In a country where many assert that evolution is a mere theory and where 60% of the people believe the world is 2000 years old, you shouldn’t expect much else I suppose.
Orwell was of course famous for censoring his own books, or at least one of them, going around buying up copies to prevent people from reading it.
The truth will set you free. Except in Gaza.
Unfortunately there is no legislation in place to protect our elderly, like Mr Chan, against the bully boys. No doubt he will be subject to another multi tens of thousands $$$ fine.
So much for the ‘highly open international city’ good story.
@yasser did you manage to get a whole 1 rmb for doubling up on the US and Israel there? Do you have anything to say about HK?
@Yasser – Texans are too busy protecting the Second Amendment to have time for the First.
Yasser
Fake News!
I only googled for 30 seconds: https://truthout.org/articles/texas-banned-more-books-than-any-other-state-last-year-analysis-finds/
I like in particular: “…….for example, more than 100 students formed a club to distribute banned books to their peers last school year….”
Surely, this “leaves Hong Kong standing…”. I mean ONE guy you can’t even get bad Bad BAD wolf children’s books by mail without ending up in jail!
I eagerly look forward to seeing the pictures of Texans queuing up for Visas to move to the Democratic People’s Republic of Hong Kong (DPRHK).
The truth will set you free. Except down Tung Tau Wan Road!
Censorship does not have to be bad. I once bought a book called “Straight Out” by the late Ted Thomas. It was a rehash, plus rejected bits, of his column “Straight Up” in the Standard (I think). If it had been censored, I would have saved myself $ 35-. In those days you could buy a 6-pack for $ 15-
I also one bought a book by Nury Hitachi. Just kidding!!
If Dr Adams’ books had ever made it into print, just think of all the paper you could have recycled.
Yasser – the books banned are sexually promiscuous books banned from elementary schools. They are not banned from adults wanting to buy them online or in a bookstore.
But I suspect that “Gender Queer” is banned in Gaza as well – but for everyone, not just little kids…
10-year old kids should have access to books like this in their elementary school?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbTkYelmKj4