Hong Kong passes film censorship law, curbing free speech again

In March, Hong Kong theatre pulled the prizewinning documentary 'Inside The Red Brick Wall' about 2019 anti-government protests. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong has banned films that run contrary to the interests of a Beijing-drafted national security law, the latest crackdown on freedom of expression in the Asian financial hub.

The city’s opposition-free legislature amended the Film Censorship Bill on Wednesday (Oct 27), turning movie censors into gatekeepers of the security law with penalties as high as HK$1,000,000 (RM533,496) and three years in prison for those who screen non-approved content.