Hong Kong: Newspaper dumps satirical cartoon after govt pressure

A newspaper in Hong Kong on Thursday (May 11) scrapped a satirical cartoon made byWong Kei-kwan. The cartoon strip by the prominent cartoonist ran for decades since 1983. The cartoonist said that the comic strip was axed after complaints from the authorities. The Ming Pao newspaper said that it would scrap the cartoon but did not eleborate. The developments are being seen as latest blow to media freedom in the China-ruled city. The comic strip was famous for its satirical take on Hong Kong and Chinese politics and society.

Reuters said Ming Pao did not respond to request for comment.

Wong goes by the pen name Zunzi. He told Reuters that he had been told numerous times by Ming Pao of official complaint over the comic strip, even this week.

"My sense is that the pressure is building up and it won't stop without change," said the 67-year-old Wong as quoted by the Reuters.

Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tang termed one of the cartoons "misleading" in April. The cartoon showed a man saying that a recent increase in Hong Kong security spending would translate into more prisons, more prisoners, more prison guards and more judges.

Wong appeared resigned to the end of his cartoon strip while saying: "The situation continues to develop in a bad direction".

"There are still many journalists who continue to speak out on different platforms, and comics are only one form," he said.

"I will continue to speak out when I have the opportunity."

Zunzi's comic strip was seen as one of last remaining bastions of unflinching criticism in the Hong Kong media after national security law was imposed in the aftermath of pro-democracy protests in 2019.

"The incident reflects that critical voices cannot be tolerated in Hong Kong, and freedom of speech has been further narrowed, which is harmful to society," the Hong Kong Journalists Association said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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