Hong Kongers in Taiwan are to stage a protest in Taipei today, urging the Academy Awards Committee to withdraw its invitation to Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen (甄子丹) to serve as a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday.
They said Yen had repeatedly expressed staunch support for China’s suppression of democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, following the Hong Kong government’s introduction of a controversial security bill.
“As a globally recognized film award, the Oscars should represent respect for human rights and moral values, rather than support actions that violate them,” they said in a written petition filed on Change.org.
Photo: Sung Chih-hsiung, Taipei Times
“Donnie Yen is a supporter of the Chinese Communist regime and has made several remarks in support of the Chinese government’s policies, including supporting the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and accusing Hong Kong protesters of being rioters,” they said. “These remarks not only violate the spirit of freedom of speech, but also deny the rights of the people of Hong Kong to fight for their freedom and democracy.”
“We strongly condemn this decision, which not only shows contempt for the people of Hong Kong, but also provokes the global public. If the Oscars Committee continues to invite such a person as a guest presenter, it will damage the image and reputation of the film industry and cause serious harm to human rights and moral values,” they said.
“We demand that the Oscars Committee reconsider this decision and cancel the invitation of Donnie Yen as a presenter for the Oscars,” they added.
As of 7pm yesterday, more than 85,000 people had signed the petition.
The petition was initiated by Hong Konger Henry Tong (湯偉雄), who now works as a fitness instructor in Taiwan after being acquitted of all charges of participating in pro-democracy protests.
“What happened in 2019 in Hong Kong was a group of protesters who expressed their appeals peacefully. Suppression by Beijing and Hong Kong police have forced protesters to protect themselves by force. To me and many Hong Kongers, we are fighting a tyranny,” Tong told Radio Free Asia in an interview that aired on Monday.
He added that Beijing has continued to restrict the freedom and rights of Hong Kongers after the protests.
Yen, mostly known for his portrayal of Hong Kong-based Cantonese martial art master Ip Man (葉問), was among those named as a presenter for the 95th Academy Awards.
The 59-year-old last month told GQ Hype magazine that the democratic uprising in Hong Kong in 2019 was a “riot ... not protest.”
In January, he became a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Beijing’s top political advisory committee.
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number
RSS