Hong Kong Court Bans 'Glory to Hong Kong' Song

Facts

• An appeals court in Hong Kong sided with the government on Wednesday, banning the popular 'Glory to Hong Kong' song for the first time since Britain transferred the city back to Chinese rule in 1997.¹
• According to the ruling, the song can still be used for academic or journalistic purposes but its melodies and lyrics cannot be broadcast, performed, shared or reproduced with the intention to incite secession or sedition.²
• The three-judge panel behind the decision argued that the injunction was needed due to the seriousness of the criminal problem related to the song, arguing that prosecutions alone were inadequate to safeguard national security.³
• This comes as a lower court judge previously ruled against the government injunction to ban the unofficial anthem of Hong Kong's 2019 protests, warning that the move could have an undesirable effect.⁴
• Local authorities have sought to remove the song, that includes lines such as the protest slogan 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,' from search engines and online platforms.⁵
• The Asia Internet Coalition, which counts Google and Spotify among its members, said that it has yet to assess the implications of this decision or how the ban will be implemented.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²BBC News, ³South China Morning Post, ⁴New York Times, ⁵Al Jazeera and ⁶Hong Kong Free Press HKFP.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Washington Post. As ridiculous as it sounds, Beijing loyalists have banned a song — both lyrics and melody — on the grounds that the protest anthem threatens national security in Hong Kong. And while that move can affect even people whistling on the streets, the goal is to force censorship on tech giants' platforms. China's one country, two systems, is effectively over.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. It's great news that the local judicial system has finally prohibited the dissemination of the controversial 'Glory to Hong Kong' song, which was used to incite separatism and insult the national anthem. Despite baseless claims attempting to smear China, this injunction doesn't threaten the freedom of speech and legitimate activities related to the song.

Predictions