There has been an updated released today regarding the entire debacle of Taiwanese black metal band Chthonic not being issued work visas in time by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The band had applied to get visas in order to perform at this weekend’s music festival, awkwardly titled, On The Pulse Of Festival. As was widely reported, the band had to cancel last minute because the visas had not been issued on time.
Today they received a letter from the Immigration Department detailing why they were not issued visas. It’s important to point out, the rejection letter only states the rejection of their vocalist/outspoken politician Freddy Lim and makes no mention of the other members.
Amongst the most ridiculous claims is the following:
「Under existing policy, a person seeking to enter into HKSAR for employment should , amongst other things, possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value and not readily available in the HKSAR」
As you can imagine, EVERYONE is up in arms about this because this sentence in itself would void EVERY single musician, artist, performer from being issued a work visa to enter Hong Kong to share their art. What is the special skill that you’re requesting performers contain? Have you ever tried to scream in the high pitch black metal scream that Freddy can do?! That shit’s hard yo! Hahahahaha…
Get the fuck outta here with this horrible excuse.
Call it what it is.
You do not support the political viewpoint of the vocalist of the band (he has been an outspoken supporter of Taiwan independence for decades) and therefore are unable to issue him a visa to enter the territory.
As many have voiced – this only continues to prove Hong Kong’s government infringing on the rights of the people of Hong Kong and of the world, all to appease the powers that be.
And the Chinese government keeps wondering why people in Hong Kong have not embraced the communist government.
Good luck.
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