The Simpsons Episode on Disney Plus Is Censored Here In Hong Kong

A Disney Plus episode appears to have been censored by the streaming service Disney Plus “The Simpsons”In Hong Kong, where the platform was launched earlier in the month. The episode concerns a visit by the fictional cartoon family to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

The episode number 12 of the 2005 16th season is not available in Hong Kong. Local media reports that it cannot be accessed by the territory. It can be accessed in Asia or Hong Kong via a virtual private network, which allows users to change their IP addresses.

Disney has yet to respond Variety‘s requests for comment.

This square was the scene of the student uprising that was crushed with deadly force on June 4, 1989. It gave rise to the famed “The Square.” ‘tank man’Photographs of a protester trying resist the oncoming military hardware. Many hundred or more protesters were shot and killed.

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China’s Simpsons Episode
Disney

China has censored the incident since then and it is believed that most people don’t know about the event. Hong Kong activists have maintained the memory of the incident for many years by holding large public gatherings and erecting prominent statues at local universities.

Hong Kong was once a British colony. However, it was returned to Chinese control under the scheme known as ‘one country, two systems’The Hong Kong way of living, rule of law, and capitalist economy were to be maintained for 50 years.

China, however, has suggested that it has in the recent years. ‘comprehensive jurisdiction’over the territory and that its Treaty commitments no longer apply.

Hong Kong authorities have cracked down on many parts of the free society that the city’s population used to enjoy. Beijing’s 2020 imposition of a National Security Law has been followed by several other pieces of legislation and practices that prioritize security and national identity.

In 2020 and 2021, Hong Kong banned marching and vigils commemorating June 4, allegedly on COVID safety grounds. The statue has been removed by the government. RTHK is also deleting its previous reporting about the Tiananmen square incident and Hong Kong protests.

Other parts of the media and entertainment sectors are at the forefront of the rollback of Hong Kong’s previous liberties. A new film censorship law was recently passed. This law has been used to ban films that are critical of government at festivals. The Economist as well as The Financial Times journalists have been denied the right to renew their Hong Kong work visas.

The decision process behind Disney’s removal of The Simpsons episode – whether this is a case of corporate self-censorship or whether the company was ordered to make the cut – is currently unknown. It will be closely monitored.

That’s because the National Security Law, which bans subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, asserts global jurisdiction. It may not be possible to remove an offending program that was accessed only in Hong Kong as a remedy.

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