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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
large activity, it makes use of its resources to place demands on artistic standard or more. When a political, religious or any other body applies for use of a venue to hold an activity not clearly seen to be illegal, we should approve the application.
There is nothing new about policy. In the beginning of this year (I invite you to read past minutes of meeting), Mr. WEN Choy-bon, on behalf of the Entertainment Select Committee stated that according to the policy of the Council, there is no way to vet the activity or performance of an applicant from the technical angle. When two organizations, say one Christian and one Buddhist, apply for the use of venue in the same time slot, how do we judge which is the more prestigious one? How about two political bodies bidding for the same time slot? How do we determine which one's political plight is more genuine?
When the Council studies applications for use of venues, it should do so as the manager of venues and the reasonable mediator of all sides. The Pillar of Shame should be allowed to be displayed. Similarly, display of a rocket at a pitch should be arranged as far as possible.
The second point is about the political angle of works of art. In fact, there may be political meanings behind all works of art. As Ms. Ada WONG put it, it is not that there is no objective mechanism within the Council to judge, but that there is actually no way to judge. Many famous artists became world recognized and famous after their deaths. How then can we hope to set up an objective mechanism? It does not exist.
When a work of art is created, the creator may put in a political role, meaning or content. The audience of this work of art may have a completely different interpretation. Therefore, even if there is a political side to a work of art, we cannot vet it accordingly.
Before I stand down, I must tell you about what I heard one evening on television. Several screenplay writers talked about how they created screenplays. One said he had to comply with the circumstances in China and Hong Kong because China disliked having their public security officers shot down by unidentified Hong Kong people. He said he could only consider having the weapons disarmed from the security officers. He said he sometimes had to change the plots. But then when a release in Hong Kong was prepared, he could put in a shot that the public security officer was gunned down with Tiananmen in the background.
Another screenplay writer said he would be bold enough to continue with his creations if nothing changed here in Hong Kong. If his screenplay faced the danger of being banned for political content, he would have to stop writing screenplays since it would not do to shoot a film on a budget of several millions and then cast it aside.
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