Chief Executive CY Leung says government will follow up after LCSD draws flak from lawmakers for tussle over programme booklet
DANNY.MOK@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Tuesday, 22 March, 2016, 12:24pm
The Nonsensemakers refused to publish the artist’s biography with a shortened version of her alma mater’s name. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The chief executive said on Tuesday morning that the government was following up on accusations that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department had prohibited an artist from publishing the full name of her Taiwanese alma mater because it contained the word “national”.
The artist, Suie Lo Shuk-yin, was an executive producer for the drama production Three Novels: The Third Lie, staged at Tsuen Wan Town Hall from last Friday to Sunday by local drama group The Nonsensemakers.
Lo had provided a brief artist biography for the programme booklet, in which she mentioned her alma mater, the Taipei National University of the Arts.
Suie Lo Shuk-yin was an executive producer for the drama production Three Novels: The Third Lie. Photo: LinkedIn
The Nonsensemakers said on their Facebook page on Monday that department staff had verbally requested that the word “national”, both in Chinese and English, not appear in the booklet.
The group said it tried and failed several times to change their mind.
The staff members suggested that they use the Chinese version of the abbreviated form of the school name instead, which did not contain the offending word.
The biography was finally changed to a few sentences protesting against restriction of creativity and freedom of speech. Lo appeared in a picture next to the text with her degree certificate, which carried the university’s full name.
The group said the school name was a basic fact which should be published in full out of respect for academia and the arts.
The Nonsensemakers said they would rather withdraw the information than publish the “pruned personal introduction”, and added: “We deeply hope that Hongkongers can continue to enjoy freedom to speak and create. This is the core value we treasure the most.”
The department on Monday night gave no direct response over whether it had prohibited the use of the school’s full name.
A spokesman said the department often discussed the publication of the programme booklets with art groups, and added that it would look into this case more closely and explore how to strengthen communications with the concerned organisation in the future.
Speaking before the weekly Executive Council on Tuesday morning, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was asked if LCSD’s handling of the issue showed that Hong Kong was becoming a less civilised place. In response, he said only that the government was following up on the matter, and that Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah would speak on the topic later on Tuesday.
Lau is meeting the press at 12.30pm to speak on the matter.
An online search showed that the department had previously publicised the full names of Taiwanese universities such as National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University when introducing arts programmes and artists on its website.
Similar examples were found on other government websites as well as in the gazettes.
Lawmaker James To said banning the university’s full name was ‘very absurd’. Photo: Nora Tam
The alleged ban drew fire from lawmakers.
Democrat James To Kun-sun said: “The department couldn’t even accommodate a name, which was very absurd. It was an oppression of speech and creative freedom.”
To said the central government had recognised the “1992 consensus”, which stated that there was one China, with the mainland and Taiwan each having its own interpretation of what that meant.
“The department is undoubtedly stirring up the Taiwanese people’s emotion and holding back President Xi Jinping,” To said.
In a letter to the director of Leisure and Cultural Services Michelle Li Mei-sheung, Civic Party lawmaker Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok called this a case of political censorship.
He urged Li to provide the justification for the decision, as well as to conduct an investigation and to apologise to the drama group.
Additional reporting by Tony Cheung
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1928708/word-national-banned-hong-kong-leisure-department
