HONG KONG — Hong Kong police on Tuesday warned people against downloading and using a gaming app that it says advocates “armed revolution” and the overthrow of the “fundamental system” of Mainland China.
Hong Kong beefed up the law last year, passing legislation that toughened punishment for dissent, including life in prison for acts considered insurrectionist.
Hong Kong police say the mobile game Reversed Front: Bonfire intentionally provokes hatred towards central authorities and the Hong Kong government.
Hong Kong residents or companies who knowingly publish the gaming app, share it or recommend it to others may be seen as inciting secession and subversion, authorities warned.
The game’s website calls it a work of nonfiction.
HONG KONG — On Tuesday, Hong Kong police issued a warning to the public about the use of a gaming app that promotes “armed revolution” and the destruction of the “fundamental system” of Mainland China.
The police said in a statement on Tuesday that anyone who downloads, uses, or purchases anything within the app would be breaking the city’s contentious national security law.
The crackdown on the gaming app and its users is the most recent in what human rights and democracy advocates claim is a deterioration of Hong Kong’s freedoms and civil rights since Beijing imposed a comprehensive national security law on the city in 2020. By enacting legislation last year that toughened the penalties for dissent, including life in prison for actions deemed insurrectionist, Hong Kong strengthened the law.
Police in Hong Kong claim that the mobile game Reversed Front: Bonfire purposefully incites animosity toward the Hong Kong government and central authorities. According to authorities, people or businesses in Hong Kong who intentionally create, distribute, or suggest the gaming app to others could be viewed as encouraging secession and subversion.
“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,” the game’s website states, and it is published by ESC Taiwan. Alternatively, players have the option to “select to lead the Communists to defeat all enemies, and resume the century-long march of the Communist revolution.”. “.”.
It is described as a work of nonfiction on the game’s website. As per the website, “Any resemblance to real organizations, regulations, or ethnic communities of the [People’s Republic of China] in this game is INTENTIONAL.”.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the company. However, the company thanked the local TV news outlet for bringing the game to Hong Kong’s attention and shared a screenshot of the report on the game’s classification as a national security violation on its Instagram page.
Perhaps a reference to the game’s apparent lack of popularity is made in the humorous post.
As of Wednesday, the game has less than 360 ratings across the Google and Apple app stores combined, though the number of downloads is not publicly available. Call of Duty and Block Blast are two well-known mobile game apps with millions of ratings.
