Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The police even warned mobile users that having the app installed can be seen as possessing an app with seditious intention.
The police even warned mobile users that having the app installed can be seen as possessing an app with seditious intention.
What is happening?
Tuesday, Hong Kong police sent out an announcement, where they accused a mobile game for advocating armed revolition as well as promoting agendas of succession, AP said.
What app is it?
The app is called “Reversed Front: Bonfire”, and according to the games webiste, “Players can choose to pledge allegiance to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, Kazakhs, Uyghur, Manchuria or the Rebel Alliance of Cathaysian and Southeast Asia to overthrow the Communist regime”.
It also gives players the option of playing as Communists.
Nonfiction
The games is made by a developer called EVC Taiwan and on the website it says that the game “is a work of nonfiction. Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.”
Risk of violating national security laws
According to the statement from the police, publishing or sharing the game with others online can be seen as a violation of national security laws.
Even people having the game on their phones is at risk of breaking the law, and if you make in-app purchases, you can be accused of providing financial assistance to seperatist movements
Anti-government protests
In 2019, a series of anti-government protests took place in Hong Kong. Authorities cracked down on the protests, largely through prosecution, and in 2020, a national security law was imposed by Beijing.
Last year, a similar law, made by the Hong Kong government, was enacted.
Tense relations
Hong Kong was originally ruled by Qing China, but was occupied by the British in 1842. In 1997, the sovereignity of Hong Kong was transfered from the UK to China.
Hong Kong is a “special administrative region” of China and was not subject to laws imposed in mainland China. Over the past decades, Beijing has seemed to gain more and more control of Hong Kong though.