Hong Kong to Censor Critical Movies Under National Security Law

The Hong Kong government on Tuesday tabled a legislative amendment that will add new requirements to current guidelines for the board of film censors, requiring them to prevent films from being screened if they contain scenes, ideas, or images critical of the authorities. The amendment is aimed at "ensuring more effective fulfilment of the duty to safeguard national security ... as well as preventing and suppressing acts or activities that may endanger national security," the government said in a statement on its website.

The amendment is highly likely to be voted through by the Legislative Council (LegCo), which has been devoid of any genuine political opposition since the mass resignation and mass arrests of dozens of former lawmakers and democracy activists for "subversion." If passed, the amended law will require censors to "consider whether the exhibition of a film would be contrary to the interests of national security."

Since the national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020, mainland Chinese state security police have set up headquarters in the city. The newly constituted national security police have since then launched a city-wide crackdown on dissent, public criticism, and political opposition in the form of opposition lawmakers, pro-democracy, media and protesters who use the now-banned slogans of the 2019 protest movement.

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