Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks at the Hong Kong-ASEAN Summit 2022 in Hong Kong, Nov 3, 2022. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)
Repeated blunders over the playing of the Chinese national anthem at international rugby matches involving Hong Kong teams have angered the city's community.
The view is that it's unacceptable to confuse the national anthem with a song closely linked to the 2019 social unrest in Hong Kong.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said any organization hosting such events should ensure that the official version of the anthem is played, and should solemnly and seriously protect the anthem's symbolism and representation
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in Bangkok on Saturday he's "very dissatisfied" with the blunders that inappropriately portrayed the national anthem at the matches.
He said any organization hosting such events should ensure that the official version of the anthem is played, and should solemnly and seriously protect the anthem's symbolism and representation.
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Ahead of a Rugby World Cup qualifier match between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Portugal in Dubai on Nov 6, a video clip posted on a popular sports streaming site showed the Chinese national anthem, Yiyongjun Jinxingqu (March of the Volunteers), being played, but the name seen on the screen was that of a song associated with the social unrest in Hong Kong in 2019. A similar blunder occurred on July 23 when Hong Kong was facing Tonga in another qualifier match of the Rugby World Cup.
A week ago, there was another incident in South Korea when the song associated with the 2019 protests was played as the Chinese national anthem before the men's final between HKSAR and South Korea in the second leg of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series.
Lee said the HKSAR government will write to the World Rugby Council and Asia Rugby to express Hong Kong's dissatisfaction with the mixed-ups. The government will also provide them with the official version and the correct description of the Chinese national anthem
Following the mixed-up in South Korea, Hong Kong police's Organized Crime and Triad Bureau began investigating the incident to see if the National Anthem Ordinance or any other Hong Kong legislation, including the Hong Kong National Security Law, has been violated.
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Lee said the HKSAR government will write to the World Rugby Council and Asia Rugby to express Hong Kong's dissatisfaction with the mixed-ups. The government will also provide them with the official version and the correct description of the Chinese national anthem. In addition, the government will ask the two organizations to inform Hong Kong of the outcome of their investigations and ensure that similar mistakes will not recur.
The Hong Kong Rugby Union said on Saturday that World Rugby - the organizer of the Rugby World Cup event in Dubai - blamed a "graphics operator" for having inserted incorrect subtitles to the Chinese national anthem.
Dominic Lee Tsz-king (center), and the members of Civil Force, visit the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong to protest the playing of a song closely associated with violent protests in the city in 2019 during the Asian Sevens final on Nov 14, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Yeung Yun-hung said on Saturday that Hong Kong will never accept what had happened in Dubai because the Chinese national anthem should be respected as it represents the dignity of the people
The HKRU demanded that World Rugby should provide a detailed account and explanation of the incident and apologize publicly to the HKSAR government and Hong Kong people. It stressed that misplaying or mislabeling the Chinese national anthem is disrespectful and hurtful to HKSAR residents and the country.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Yeung Yun-hung said on Saturday that Hong Kong will never accept what had happened in Dubai because the Chinese national anthem should be respected as it represents the dignity of the people.
"I find it extremely unacceptable that mistakes relating to the Chinese national anthem have repeatedly occurred at rugby matches in a short period of time," he said.
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To prevent similar incidents from happening again, Ronnie Wong Man-chiu, honorary secretary-general of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, said the committee will issue guidelines on the national flag and anthem to local sports associations.
Ronnie Wong Man-chiu, honorary secretary-general of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, said the committee will issue guidelines on the national flag and anthem to local sports associations
The associations will be asked to provide the standard and correct national flag and national anthem to the organizers when taking part in international events. They will also be asked to check the national flag and anthem again before any competition. If any mistake is detected at a competition, the Hong Kong team's representatives should immediately ask for a suspension of the event and correct it immediately.
Wong said senior team members, such as team managers, leaders and coaches, should be designated to take charge of arrangements relating to the national anthem and flag in those events.
Vivien Lau, chairman of the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress, believes the new guidelines will help the associations to deal with similar mistakes more quickly.
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She said the SF&OC should make more efforts to explain to Asia and the world that the HKSAR is part of China and the Chinese national anthem should be played at sporting events.
