A pro-democracy political party has alleged that mainland manufacturers refused to print their name and logo on Lunar New Year merchandise because they featured on an official list of banned words and images.
Demosisto tweeted last night that two companies had refused to print the original design of a tote bag, saying that the companies received official government documents that said the party’s name and logo were on a “blacklist.”
The party added that it “fears the suppression of [Hong Kong] freedoms.”
The party had designed a series of products to be sold at the Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, which will usher in the Year of the Pig. The items included a flag that said “100% freedom,” T-shirts opposing a controversial artificial island project, and a tote bag with a picture of a pig holding a coffee cup with the phrase “Don’t Be a Kong Pig.”
“Kong pig” is a Cantonese slang term used to describe someone who can’t think independently and only cares about themselves.
Also slated for sale are rolls of masking tape printed with altered lyrics of the Chinese national anthem — sung out of tune in this promotional video — a thumb of the nose at recently introduced legislation criminalizing any “disrespect” of the Chinese national anthem.
The party made an order for the “kong pig” tote bags to be printed with a Hong Kong company, who then commissioned a printing company on the mainland.
However, the party claimed that the mainland company refused to print the totes because they contained Demosisto’s name and logo.
HK01 reports that Demosisto sought out another Hong Kong company to print the bags but were refused again, with the manufacturers also citing the official list of banned words and images.
Dmosisto chairman Ivan Lam said the second company only agreed to print the merchandise once the party’s logo and name were removed.
During the production of this bag for the #ChineseNewYear market, two companies refused to print the original design containing a Demosisto logo having allegedly received gvt document citingour group's name as an item on the blacklist. We fear the suppression of #HK freedoms. pic.twitter.com/Mu5WogP6tn
— Demosistō 香港眾志 😷 (@demosisto) January 29, 2019
Speaking to Apple Daily, Lam said neither the Chinese nor the Hong Kong government should restrict the legitimate activities of political parties, and that the incident could result in more cases of self-censorship.
This Lunar New Year Fair in Causeway Bay attracts thousands of people each year, and is one of the key events where political parties set up shop to sell merchandise and raise funds.
This is not the first time the authorities have been ruffled by politically-themed merchandise being sold at the annual fair. In 2015, the authorities seized 7,600 rolls of toilet paper and 20,000 tissue packets that bore caricatures of then-Chief Executive CY Leung.
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