Hong Kong to amend law to step up film censorship

Hong Kong authorities say they plan to amend a film censorship law to forbid screenings of movies deemed contrary to national security

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday said they plan to amend a film censorship law to forbid screenings of movies deemed contrary to national security. The proposed changes to Hong Kong’s Film Censorship Ordinance would step up censorship of movies in the semi-autonomous city, expanding an ongoing crackdown on political dissent that has led to the closure of various pro-democracy organizations and the arrests of dozens of activists. The amendments would require a censor to determine whether a film contains elements that endanger national security. Older movies that were previously allowed to be screened could also have their approvals revoked on national security grounds. “We need this provision to cater for circumstances where a film which was created or approved before — but given the new law enacted and the new guidelines issued — there might be chances that we need to reconsider such cases,” Edward Yau, secretary for commerce and economic development, said at a news conference Tuesday.