'Suspending misleading content a responsible act', says HK security chief after Ming Pao drops Zunzi cartoons

Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tang has described the discontinuation of two controversial cartoon series on Chinese-language daily Ming Pao as "a responsible decision" to remove “non-factual” and “misleading” content that smeared the government.

This comes as Ming Pao announced the suspension of two comic strips namely 尊子漫畫 and 世紀版乜議員漫畫 illustrated by local artist Zunzi from Sunday (14 May), marking an end of the illustrator's 40 years of contributions to the publication following accusations of bias by the authorities.  

Tang told local press on Thursday that it is very responsible for Ming Pao to stop publishing misleading accusations and non-factual content that smeared the government and incited public dissatisfaction with the government. 

He added that the government is happy to accept criticisms, but these criticisms must be based on facts. "You can't use some misleading accusations that are not true to do things that incite citizens and discredit the government. This is impossible," he added. 

"If some people think that they have a special status that they can control or occupy some media and some platforms, so that they can use misleading accusations to smear the government. The government must speak out, we must clarify, condemn, and let citizens know the truth," he said.

Zunzi told RTHK that Ming Pao's decision to pull his comic strip is part of today's "Hong Kong story". He added that "there is always a way to move forward even when the road is rough".

On the other hand, The Ming Pao Staff Association (明報職工協會) expressed regret over the suspension in a statement and thanked Zunzi for his contribution to the newspaper since the 1980s. The association added that apart from news reports, columnists’ work was also part of Ming Pao's core values. It hoped that the society can allow different voices and respect freedom of speech moving forward.

The Hong Kong Journalist Association (香港記者協會) also expressed its deep distress on the suspension of the comic strips, saying that the incident reflects that criticism cannot be tolerated in Hong Kong, and the freedom of speech has been further narrowed, which is harmful to the society.

Don't miss: Ming Pao defends latest comic amidst strong concerns from police

Media intelligence firm CARMA saw over 5K related mentions since 11 May, when Ming Pao announced its decision to stop publishing the work of the prominent political cartoonist. The majority of mentions (44%) about the decision have been negative, with netizens expressing disappointment and frustration.

Many netizens have expressed their dismay at the decision, particularly given Zunzi's status as the most prominent political cartoonist in Hong Kong. Some were confused by Ming Pao's decision, which was made without a detailed explanation. On the other hand, some netizens believed the decision is justified due to the government's criticism of Zunzi's work for being biased and misleading. The fact that Zunzi has been criticized by the government multiple times is well-known, and it has been a source of controversy for some time.

Zunzi’s cartoon has been repeatedly criticised by a number of government officials in recent months for allegedly twisting facts and defaming the authorities. Most recently, his strip published on Tuesday (9 May) which was about district council reforms showed a man telling a woman that the city’s community representatives would be chosen as long as the superior thought they were suitable, even if they failed their exams and health tests. The strip was then criticised by Hong Kong’s secretary for home and youth affairs Alice Mak, who said the strip was misleading and with discriminatory elements.

Related articles:
Ming Pao defends latest comic amidst strong concerns from police
How can HK better leverage social media marketing for Brand HK?
Vice Media Group reportedly plans to file for bankruptcy