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Hong Kong National Security Police have a new target in sight: players.
In a severe warning issued on Tuesday, they indeed banned a Taiwanese video game which they described as “advocating the armed revolution”, saying that anyone who has downloaded or recommended that it would be confronted with serious legal accusations. This decision comes as the authorities continue to strengthen control of online content they consider a threat to the Chinese city.
“Tilled Front: Bonfire” is an online war strategy game published by a Taiwanese group. Illustrated in a colorful manga style, players can choose the roles of “propagandists, patrons, spies or guerrillas” of Taiwan, Mongolia and Chinese territories of Hong Kong, Xinjiang And Tibet in plots and simulated battles against the Communist Party leader of China. Alternatively, players can choose to represent government fighters.
The game was deleted from the Apple App Store in Hong Kong on Wednesday, but remains available elsewhere.
But he had already been out of reach for many players. It was never available in continental China and earlier this month, Google deleted “reversed the front” from its appearance of the app, citing hateful language, according to the developers.
ESC Taiwan is a group of anonymous volunteers who are frank against the Chinese Communist Party. Their products, which include a board game published in 2020, are supported by donations funded by funding.
The developers said that the abolition of the game had demonstrated how mobile applications in Hong Kong are subject to the type of political censorship observed in continental China. “Our game accuses and reveals these intentions precisely,” said group representatives in an email.
In social networks publications, they also thanked the authorities for free advertising and published screenshots of the name of the game increasing Google research. They said that the comments and pseudonyms selected by the players of the game would not be censored, whether in support or in opposition to the Communist Party.
In his statementHong Kong police said that the game had promoted “secessionist agendas” and should cause hatred of government. They said that the publication, recommendation and download of the game or supporting online campaigns that have funded it could represent sedition and incentive to secession under the national security law in Hong Kong, offenses that can cause prison terms.
This is not the first time that a video game has been used as an avenue for political protest that encourages anger by the Chinese authorities. Animal Crossing, an online game was that players could build developed conceptions of their own island, was removed from continental China after The players began to import protest slogans into Hong Kong in the game.
Even if practically all forms of dissent in Hong Kong have been canceled, the national security drag in the city continues to expand. The authorities carried out generalized arrests under the law, which was imposed five years ago following massive pro-democracy demonstrations.
Last week, Hong Kong authorities filed new national security accusations against Joshua Wong, one of the most eminent young activists in the city. Wong purges the prison sentence of another national security accusation which ended in January 2027.
Last month, the authorities charged Anna Kwok’s father, a franc activist living in Washington, DC, accusing her of helping to manage her financial assets. Ms. Kwok is on a list of people abroad sought by the Hong Kong police, who has placed bonuses on their heads by offering rewards for information that would lead to their arrest.
