The Leisure and Cultural Services Department recently refurbished the paper boats in the Sai Kung Waterfront Park. The words “Hong Kong” and “Independence” have disappeared. Netizens are accusing the LCSD of political correctness and censorship.
The paper boat sculptures in the pond square in Sai Kung Waterfront Park were designed by the artist based on old newspapers. One of the paper boats had been recently criticised by the pro-Beijing media as the words “Hong Kong” and “Independence” were in close proximity. LCSD placed flower pots in front of the offensive words a month ago. Recently, netizens and local councillors found that the old newspaper drawings on the ship’s hull had been replaced, and the “offending” words had disappeared. The department explained that the refurbishment work was done due to the fading of the newspaper clippings used on the boats.
The paper boat sculpture in the square was erected in 2003 and is made of fibreglass. Newspaper cuttings are printed on the inside and outside, simulating an origami boat made of old newspapers. The cuttings were selected from newspaper clippings during the Anti-Japanese War. The “controversial’ cuttings on one ship was folded from the two-sentence clipping titled “East River Column, Hong Kong and Kowloon” and “Independent Brigade”, referring to resistance to the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. The full newspaper article refers to the anti-Japanese deeds of Saigon residents.
In September last year, the pro-Beijing media suddenly criticised the paper boat printed with the article using the words “Hong Kong” and “Independence” and referred to it as the “Hong Kong Independence Paper Boat.” Under pressure from the pro-Beijing media and local politicians LCSD immediately jumped into action.
District councillor Zoe Leung Hin-yan posted on her Facebook page that the paper boat was suddenly “repackaged” without warning and replaced with other news clippings. When questioned LCSD replied that the paper boat needed to be refurbished because of its fading colour. They also said that the paper boat was refurbished with the “same newspaper” of the year, but there was no guarantee that the artwork was the same as the old one.
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