One of Ar To’s cartoons HK publisher sought to censor
A Hong Kong cartoonist has claimed that publishers there are censoring themselves rather than risk riling the Chinese government. “The political pressure has been stronger and stronger,” cartoonist Ar To complained in a May 26 Facebook post. “The [Hong Kong] publishing industry is not in good shape, with many obstacles now to publish a book.” One of the cartoons a publisher wanted Ar To to remove from his latest collection showed a character altering a sign welcoming President Xi Jinping to read “President Xi, you are very dictatorial.”
Ar has been posting cartoons on Facebook and Yahoo News since 2011, and publishing compilations of his online work along with new material in book form. This is the first time a publisher has balked at publishing any of his cartoons, Ar To told CRNI. “The publishers I worked with before are rather open to this kind of political matters,” Ar To says. “It is the first time for me to work with this publisher who turns out to have doubts about the sensitive issues.”
Ar To describes his cartoons as “rather satirical, sometimes with light-hearted humour. Politics is one of the many topics, which may include sharing my viewpoints on daily life and local cultures.”
CRNI INTERVIEW WITH AR TO
CRNI: Have government officials ever been in touch with you? Have you heard of government officials putting pressure on other artists?
— No. The “game” in HK is rather implicit and indirect. They do not have to directly pressure the artists but there can always be ways to suppress or to hinder such opposing voices.
You’re quoted saying that publishing in Hong Kong is getting more difficult. Have you heard of any instances of government officials contacting publishers to complain?
— Publishing in HK is getting difficult in general as readership in HK has been remaining low or even shrinking, while the cost of publishing keeps rising. Thus publishers are more cautious to select books that may earn and are less risky. Not only because they do not want to take risk in publishing books that may affect their company image or their business relationship and market in mainland China, but also in the sense that political books may not be popular in HK market too.
I have not heard of any government officials contacting publishers to complain.
Have government officials ever been in touch with you? Have you heard of government officials putting pressure on other artists?
— No. The “game” in HK is rather implicit and indirect. They do not have to directly pressure the artists but there can always be ways to suppress or to hinder such opposing voices.
Do you think the situation will improve?
— I am rather pessimistic about HK’s situation, as the so-called “One Country, Two System” is somehow in name only. From my point of view this kind of self-censorship or white terror may continue.
What do you think the larger community, and cartoonists in other countries, might do to help the situation improve?
— International coverage and concerns on issues like disappearance of Causeway Bay bookseller might help arouse awareness of HK’s human rights and freedom of speech. As for my case, there are still publishers who are open and are willing to publish my new book. I wish that my story may encourage other artists who are in struggle to insist on voicing their views and truthful thoughts.