(Hong Kong) The Hong Kong government ordered an investigation on Monday after a pro-democracy song in Hong Kong was played instead of the Chinese national anthem before a rugby match between South Korea and the Hong Kong and South Korean teams.
Posted at 12:01 a.m.
The Hong Kong government “strongly deplores and opposes that a song closely associated with violent protests and the independence movement is being played instead of China’s national anthem”, he said. said in a statement.
China’s national anthem is usually played for Hong Kong sports teams, but on Sunday in Incheon, in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series final, South Korea vs Hong Kong, it’s Glory to Hong Kong which was played instead.
The song, written by an anonymous composer during the huge and sometimes violent protests of 2019, has become an anthem for the city’s now crushed democracy movement.
” The National anthem [chinois] is a symbol of our country. The tournament organizer has a duty to ensure that the national anthem is given the respect it deserves,” a Hong Kong government spokesperson said.
Authorities said they had ordered the city-territory’s rugby union to launch an investigation and “transmit our strong objection” to tournament organisers, Asia Rugby.
The organizers of this rugby sevens tournament apologized and played the Chinese anthem after the match, said the statement from the Hong Kong government.
According to the government, the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s preliminary investigation revealed that it was indeed the Chinese anthem which had been transmitted to the organizers by the coach of the team.
“The error was caused by human error by junior staff at the local organizer,” the document adds.
Contacted by AFP, Asia Rugby did not comment immediately.
To play Glory to Hong Kongrecorded secretly during the 2019 protests, is now all but illegal under a security law that Beijing imposed on the city to suppress dissent.
In September, a harmonica player who played this tune in front of a crowd commemorating Queen Elizabeth II was arrested.