In letters shared by the singer on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Arts Center said it was pulling the September 6-12 reservation at a venue under a clause that allows cancellations “where public order or public safety is at risk.” Will be.”
“The management of the arts center is obliged to closely monitor the recent developments in the society and the relevant laws,” said the letter written on Tuesday. The letter states that the rental fee of $16,430 will be returned to his music label.
The Hong Kong Arts Center and Ms Ho did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Hong Kong Arts Center, an independent non-profit established in 1977, has long served as a local center for the arts, including those on political topics. But the city’s cultural forums have come under pressure since Beijing imposed a national security law last year. Many have retreated from political or protest-related activities on their own, prompting critics to warn of self-censorship.
The city government and Beijing say the national security law is intended to thwart separatist acts and terrorism, but it has caught hold of mainstream pro-democracy politicians and activists as well as teachers, journalists and other constituents of civil society. .
“It is happening simultaneously in all sectors of society, and of course, art and culture are no exception,” said Casey Wong, a well-known Hong Kong political artist who moved to Taiwan in July, citing the city’s political Had gone. Climate and security concerns.
Along with other Hong Kong artists and industry figures, Wong, 51, was targeted in March by Chinese state-owned newspaper Ta Kung Pao over his links to the pro-democracy movement.
Ms Ho, 44, emerged as a pro-democracy figure during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and took part in the 2019 anti-government protests, breaking ranks with other city figures who shun politics or vocalize Chinese patriotism. ceremoniously adopted. Even before national security legislation, the importance of the mainland’s lucrative market has made it complicated for Hong Kong artists to take a political stand.
Ms Ho said on Wednesday that her team had examined materials related to her concert and could not see how her performance or renting a venue could endanger public order or safety.
The national security law has had a chilling effect, with some dialing back or abandoning cultural activities for fear of being targeted in Hong Kong. Black House Books, a popular independent bookstore, announced last week that it would close in mid-October due to the “state of politics in Hong Kong”.
Hong Kong authorities in June expanded the powers of their film censors to include national security concerns. Last week, the city government proposed a law that would give authorities the authority to ban films and screenings on national security grounds. According to the bill, those who showed disapproved movies could face up to three years in prison and a fine of about $129,000.
Edward Yau, the secretary of commerce and economic development, said last week that the new rules were designed to protect national security and provide clear guidance to the film industry.
On Friday, government officials raided a screening of an acclaimed romantic drama and accused dozens of attendees, including director Kiwi Chow, of violating social-distancing rules and fined $640.
Mr Chow is best known as one of the contributors to the award-winning dystopian anthology of short films in Hong Kong called “Ten Years” and for a politically sensitive documentary about the 2019 protests that took place on a large scale. was produced in secret and debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in July
“It’s the atmosphere in Hong Kong now. Dennis Ho can’t hold a concert, and I can’t show a romance film,” said Mr. Chow. “It’s just Dennis and I are people who openly support democracy and freedom. The repression is pretty obvious.”
Hong Kong’s top official Carrie Lam has said that where national security is concerned, freedom of expression is guaranteed in the city’s basic law.
Separately, Mok Kwan-ling, the director of a short film titled “Far From Home,” said of a couple they met during the 2019 anti-government protests that they had to make 14 cuts from government censors, change its title and add The request was received. Be warned that its content may be a criminal offence.
The Office for Film, Newspaper and Articles Administration, the government department responsible for enforcing censorship rules, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The office told local media it does not comment on individual matters.
The film is about a girl who after her arrest goes to her boyfriend’s house before a police search. Ms Mok said she did not plan to resubmit the film to censors and had no hope of showing it in Hong Kong.
This story has been published without modification to the text from a wire agency feed
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