Latest news with #ESC Taiwan
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Hong Kong bans mobile game about overthrowing communist regime
Hong Kong has invoked the national security law to ban a mobile game for allegedly advocating armed revolution and promoting secessionism in the Chinese city and self-governed Taiwan. Hong Kong residents were unable to find Reversed Front: Bonfire, developed by ESC Taiwan, on Apple's app store on Wednesday after authorities warned against downloading the application. Police claimed the app was released in April under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as "Taiwan independence' and 'Hong Kong independence' and advocating armed revolution and the overthrow of the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China". The app in its description says players can "pledge allegiance" to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, or Uyghurs, among other options, "to overthrow the Communist regime". They may also choose to lead the communists to defeat all enemies. On the app's Facebook page, the developer posted about surging searches for the game name and a news report about Tuesday's development. The game's website declares that it 'is a work of nonfiction'. 'Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.' Police said any person found to have downloaded the game "may be regarded as in possession of a publication that has a seditious intention". The game publisher last month said Google Play had taken the app down because it did not prohibit users from adopting hateful language in naming. Reversed Front is the first app to be banned in Hong Kong under the national security law in what appears to be a widening crackdown on dissent following the pro-democracy protests of 2019. The city authorities have silenced many dissenting voices through prosecutions under the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing and a similar local law enacted last year. China also faces allegations of eradicating any possibility of unrest in regions that are home to sizeable ethnic populations by imprisoning dissenters, reshaping societies and religions to align them with the views of the Communist Party. The approach has allegedly hardened in the past decade under the leadership of Xi Jinping, who has been accused of a brutal crackdown on the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang region. After playing the game for about three months, Kuo Hao Fu in Taiwan said he found its content took a humorous approach to describe serious political issues. Mr Fu disagreed with the Hong Kong police's accusations, saying players could choose to be part of the force representing China. 'The Hong Kong police's actions demonstrate how Hong Kong's democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,' he told the Associated Press. 'When even this level cannot be tolerated, it completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.' Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to bring self-governed Taiwan under its control and routinely conducts military exercises circling the island. Beijing and Hong Kong insist that the national security laws are necessary to return stability to the city following the 2019 protests.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
HK bans 'seditious' mobile game about fighting communists
Hong Kong residents found downloading or sharing a mobile game app about defeating the communist regime may be punished under national security laws, police have said. According to the website for Reversed Front: Bonfire, players can "pledge allegiance" to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet or Uyghurs, among other options, "to overthrow the Communist regime". In a statement on Tuesday, police warned that those who download the game "may be regarded as in possession of a publication that has a seditious intention". It comes as Beijing has tightened grip over the city and has been seen as increasingly cracking down on dissent in the wake of the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In a line on the game's website, it stated that it was a "work of non-fiction", adding that "any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional". The game also allows for users to play as communists to fight enemies and support the communist revolution. Police have also warned people against providing funding to the app developer, ESC Taiwan. "'Reversed Front: Bonfire' was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as 'Taiwan independence' and 'Hong Kong independence'," said the police statement. "Those who have downloaded the application should uninstall it immediately and must not attempt to defy the law." As of Wednesday, the game - which was launched in April - is no longer accessible on Google Play or Apple's App Store from Hong Kong. But the warning might have inadvertently brought more attention to the game, which on Wednesday was the most popular search term on Google among Hong Kong residents. The game's creators have appeared to embrace the news surrounding its ban in the city, writing in a post that the game had been "introduced to the entire Hong Kong" as a result. In 2020, China imposed a national security law (NSL) on Hong Kong that critics say effectively outlawed dissent - but Beijing maintains is crucial for maintaining stability. The law - which criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces - came in response to massive pro-democracy protests that broke out in Hong Kong in 2019. Media mogul Jimmy Lai and activist Joshua Wong are among the pro-democracy figures that have been charged or jailed under the NSL. Hong Kong is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover. But critics say the implementation of the NSL has breached the "one country, two systems" principle, though Beijing and Hong Kong have argued the NSL ensures the "resolute, full and faithful implementation" of "one country, two systems". Silenced and erased, Hong Kong's decade of protest is now a defiant memory What is Hong Kong's national security law?
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Reversed Front: Bonfire: Hong Kong bans 'seditious' mobile game
Hong Kong residents found downloading or sharing a mobile game app about defeating the communist regime may be punished under national security laws, police have to the website for Reversed Front: Bonfire, players can "pledge allegiance" to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet or Uyghurs, among other options, "to overthrow the Communist regime".In a statement on Tuesday, police warned that those who download the game "may be regarded as in possession of a publication that has a seditious intention".It comes as Beijing has tightened grip over the city and has been seen as increasingly cracking down on dissent in the wake of the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In a line on the game's website, it stated that it was a "work of non-fiction", adding that "any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional". The game also allows for users to play as communists to fight enemies and support the communist revolution. Police have also warned people against providing funding to the app developer, ESC Taiwan."'Reversed Front: Bonfire' was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as 'Taiwan independence' and 'Hong Kong independence'," said the police statement."Those who have downloaded the application should uninstall it immediately and must not attempt to defy the law."As of Wednesday, the game - which was launched in April - is no longer accessible on Google Play or Apple's App Store from Hong Kong. But the warning might have inadvertently brought more attention to the game, which on Wednesday was the most popular search term on Google among Hong Kong game's creators have appeared to embrace the news surrounding its ban in the city, writing in a post that the game had been "introduced to the entire Hong Kong" as a result. In 2020, China imposed a national security law (NSL) on Hong Kong that critics say effectively outlawed dissent - but Beijing maintains is crucial for maintaining stability. The law - which criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces - came in response to massive pro-democracy protests that broke out in Hong Kong in 2019. Media mogul Jimmy Lai and activist Joshua Wong are among the pro-democracy figures that have been charged or jailed under the NSL. Hong Kong is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the critics say the implementation of the NSL has breached the "one country, two systems" principle, though Beijing and Hong Kong have argued the NSL ensures the "resolute, full and faithful implementation" of "one country, two systems".
