HK proposes film censorship law to 'safeguard national security'

HONG KONG • Hong Kong will scrutinise past films for national security breaches under a censorship law announced yesterday, in the latest blow to the financial hub's political and artistic freedoms.

China introduced a sweeping national security law in June last year to crack down on subversion, secessionism, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, following months of often violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The authorities had announced in June that the city's censorship board would check any future films for content that breached the security law. But yesterday, they unveiled a new hardened censorship law which would also cover any titles that had previously been given a green light.

"Any film for public exhibition, past, present and future, will need to get approval," Commerce Secretary Edward Yau told reporters.

Hong Kong's No. 2 official, the Chief Secretary, will also be empowered to revoke a film's licence if it is found to be "contrary to the interests of national security".

Those who violate the law could be sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined HK$1 million (S$174,000).

The Bill will be put to the city's Legislative Council next Wednesday.

The move comes after recent cancellations of a number of screenings of protest-related films and documentaries at cinemas and art centres.

The Cannes Film Festival screened a documentary titled Revolution Of Our Times, which chronicles the 2019 protests, by filmmaker Kiwi Chow as a surprise addition in July. Chow said he does not plan to screen it in Hong Kong given previous censorship guidelines announced in June.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS