The mental and verbal gymnastics going on in China and Hong Kong right now are off the scale. Last week, the Chinese Communist Party took offence at a meme featuring France and Real Madrid football superstar Kylian Mbappé, in which he refers to Mao Zedong as a “dictator”. Never mind the fact that the Communist Party itself manufactured a “70/30 rule” for Mao, in which his legacy was defined as 70% good and 30% bad. That 30% seems to have been sidelined, although let’s face it, it was a joke to begin with – Zedong was responsible for more deaths in the world than any of history’s other dictators. And yes, I am using the D word. I long ago made my peace with the fact I’m not going back to China any time soon. Mbappé and his many commercial partners do want China access though, so the footballer has done what every other person does with China – apologise. But it wasn’t good enough. China's state broadcaster CCTV still didn’t air Real Madrid’s match on Sunday. A lesson perhaps? Don’t negotiate with terrorists?
Anyway, the terrorists were terrorising again yesterday. This time, their target was an old favourite of theirs – democracy activist Joshua Wong, who was sentenced to another 10 years in jail. Wong, 30, has been imprisoned since he was 23 for his leading role in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Except that in the Communist Party’s telling, Wong has been cast as the villain. He’s a “national security threat” and guilty of “colluding with foreign forces”.
It’s all lies, and some still see through them, such as the circa 50 people who stood outside the Hong Kong courthouse on Thursday, supporting Wong with the finger heart gesture (crossing the thumb and forefinger to show solidarity and defiance). These scenes were heartening to behold. The issue, though, is that memories are short. As with Mao, whose few surviving victims of his terror are now well into old age, the authorities in Hong Kong want the democracy movement and its leaders to disappear – whether through direct censorship, the passage of time or both. Do read this powerful piece we published back in September by Wong’s friend Frances Hui.
To oil the wheels of forgetfulness, and to keep up the lies and control, on 28 October Hong Kong’s Security Bureau held a launch ceremony for a series of educational picture books. Andy and Security Bear: Young Citizens Safeguarding National Security is, it seems, intended to start the national security conversation when kids are still in nappies. The book will be distributed in 900 kindergartens and public libraries by the end of the year. Pity the poor kids, who can’t enjoy Winnie the Pooh – he too has taken on villain status after his portly appearance was compared to Xi Jinping – and instead will be spoon-fed this tosh.
So in China today, a man who was never elected, murdered tens of millions and ruled with an iron fist until his death is no longer a dictator; and a young man championing fundamental civic freedoms in Hong Kong is deemed a security threat and banished behind bars until he is at least 40. You say up, they say down.
Jemimah Steinfeld
CEO, Index on Censorship
