HONG KONG >> A Hong Kong newspaper will stop publishing work by the city’s most prominent political cartoonist after his cartoons drew complaints from the government, in another example of silenced speech and media voices following a Beijing-led crackdown.
Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao did not explain why its 40-year partnership with Wong Kei-kwan would end on Sunday in its announcement. Wong, better known by his pen name Zunzi, told The Associated Press that the decision was made through mutual consultation.
“Everyone knows why the post should be stopped, but no one will ‘confirm’ the reason,” he said in a text message to the AP on Thursday with two smiley face emojis.
His cartoons caricatured the frustrations of Hong Kong society since the then British colony regained control of China in 1997.
The newspaper and government departments that complained about Wong’s cartoons did not respond to requests for comment.
Wong said he feels the city’s freedoms of speech and expression are shrinking, but he will continue to create as long as he can. He will try to find other channels to publish his future cartoons, he added.
“Honestly, I am very grateful that Ming Pao let my drawings be published until now. If it had been other platforms, the publication stop would have happened much earlier,” said Wong.
After Beijing imposed a national security law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, the city’s art and media communities have learned to be wary of crossing vaguely defined red lines in art production and other content that may be perceived as a challenge to the control of the Communist Party. Authorities have also increasingly used a colonial-era sedition law to attack critical voices.
Several of Wong’s cartoons have been criticized in recent months by various government units, including the security office. Most recently, the Home Office and Youth Affairs criticized his work for “defaming” the government’s role in appointing members of local committees that will choose candidates for district council elections later this year.
In his cartoon, a man tells a woman that although some people have failed their exams and have health problems, they can also be appointed to commissions as long as the “senior officers” deem them fit.
Under the government’s plan to reform district councils, local committees made up of many government supporters will elect around 40% of the 470 seats. The councils were the last major publicly elected bodies of political representation in Hong Kong and will be reduced from 90% directly elected seats to 20%, even below the level set under British colonial rule.
“Ming Pao would like to express gratitude to Zunzi for witnessing how times have changed with us over the past four decades,” the newspaper’s editorial department said in its announcement.
The Ming Pao Staff Association on its Facebook page regretted that Wong’s works no longer appear in the paper.
“Apart from news reporting, the works of columnists are also part of Ming Pao’s core value,” he wrote. “A diversified society should include different voices. We hope that all sectors can respect freedom of expression.”
