Moralistic criterion

LAST year lleennggmmoo (teen models) were very much in the lime light at the Book Fair. That has aroused much controversy, and the Trade Development Council (TDC) has received many complaints. This year, it allows lleennggmmoo's photo books's to be sold at the fair, but a new advisory panel hasrejected their applications for holding book signings at it on grounds of "indecency and low taste".

We do not approve of lleennggmmoo's way of excessively's flaunting their sensuality, and we understand that the TDC needs to protect the fair's cultural image and, for the sake of mainstream Book Fair visitors' interests,prevent it from being "hijacked". However, the TDC never adopted any "decency and taste" criterionbefore. Neither the TDC nor the advisory panel hasmade public any objective criteria or guidelines orprovide any concrete examples of what is deemed indecent or of low taste. This move has inevitablyaroused new controversy and even given lleennggmmoo opportunities to promote themselves.

The TDC always upholds the cardinal principle ofcultural diversity and tolerance. It is because of its cultural diversity and tolerance that Hong Kong's Book Fair has blossomed in radiant splendour. Manymainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau residentsregard it as an outstanding cultural event. At the HongKong Book Fair, titles banned on the mainland are readily available, Mainland writers who may not set footon Taiwan may autograph their books for their readers,and famous writers from the mainland, Taiwan, HongKong and Macau may gather together. It has become an important cultural event among Chinese people in the world. Many Chinese who live in other parts of the world come to Hong Kong specifically to visit it. It hasbecome more and more successful year on year year..

The TDC has adopted the decency and tastecriterion to prevent eroticism from marring the image ofthe Book Fair. This move is well well--intentioned. However,unless it is meticulously and reasonably applied, theTDC's decisions may be misunderstood and draw fire from cultural workers. The move is after all at odds with the spirit of tolerance.

Among the Book Fair's staples are books about speculation in the financial market, those that praise money power and famous brands, those that teach people how to obtain fame and wealth and those that concern ffeenngg sshhuuii, astrology, "prodigies, force, disorder, and gods". Many cultural workers have pointed out that such books are similarly of low taste in many eyes.There are books about politics that defend autocratic regimes' repression of pro pro--democracy movements orencourage defiance to the detriment of socialharmony. Such books are equally indecent in manyeyes. The TDC has now adopted a moralistic criterionthat is foreign to the freedom of expression and that of publication as defined in Hong Kong law. Will they become a basis for widened censorship and,eventually, mar the spirit of tolerance?

Comic books were once all the rage at the BookFair. Teenagers would queue up overnight to getlimited editions of sword models. Citizens complained that the Book Fair had been hijacked. The TDC subsequently decided to take comic books away from the Book Fair and hold Animation--Comic Comic--Game HongKong exhibitions. It can do the same with lleennggmmoo photo books. It is more sensible and advisable to do sothan to label lleennggmmoo's photo books indecent, find them's morally guilty and mud-wrestle with them in the media.

書展毋需道德法庭徹底區隔包容多元

去年「模」佔盡書展風頭，引起社會爭議，貿易發展局收到眾多投訴，今年雖容許「模」寫真集繼續在書展擺賣，卻由新成立的顧問團以「內容意識不良或以品味低俗方式宣傳」為由，拒絕「模」在書展期間於會場內辦簽名會的申請。

我們不認同「模」賣弄色情的出位行徑，也理解貿發局需要保護書展的文化形象和保障書展主流顧客的利益，阻止書展被「騎劫」，可是， 「意識不良」及「品味低俗」這兩點活動審批標準是歷屆書展沒有的， 貿發局及其顧問團也沒有就此頒布客觀標準和指引，或以具體事例說明，因此難免引起新的社會爭議，倒過來為「模」的自我宣傳提供更多借口。

貿發局向來支持文化多元和包容異見的大原則，香港書展也是憑着這條大原則，在兩岸三地中大放異彩脫穎而出，在內地被禁的書籍，在這裏可以輕易找到，無法踏足台灣的大陸作家，在這裏可以為讀者親筆簽名，兩岸三地的知名作者在此聚首一堂，令香港書展成為華人世界的文化盛事，許多境外華人遠道來訪，一年比一年成功。

貿發局最新引入的「意識不良、品味低俗」審查標準，雖是為了阻止色情風氣腐蝕書展形象，有良好的動機，但如果欠缺周密和合理的執行細則，很容易被誤解，甚至招來眾多文化界人士的批評，畢竟這是與多元和包容的精神有牴觸的。

一些文化界人士指出，在不少人眼中，書展的「正統」產品，教人投機炒賣，推崇金錢權力與名牌，追逐名利，宣揚風水術數怪力亂神之說，品味同樣低俗，甚至在一些人眼中，部分政治著作，例如為極權者鎮壓民運解釋開脫，又或鼓吹抗爭破壞社會和諧，同樣可被視為意識不良。貿發局在香港法律界定的言論和出版自由之外，增設道德審查界線，會否成為日後擴大審查範圍的依據，最終破壞兼容並包的精神？

過去漫畫書在書展成行成市，許多年輕人通宵排隊輪候購買限量版刀劍模型，令市民投訴書展被騎劫，最終貿發局決定把漫畫分拆，另辦一個動漫展。「模」寫真集也可朝這個方向發展，這樣比標籤「模」為意識不良，判她們道德有罪，與「模」在媒體輿論上作泥漿摔角，更加明智可取。

Glossary

year on year

eeach year, compared with the last year.ach ddetriment etriment //''detr detrIImm nt/ nt/"To the detriment of something" means"res resulting in harm of damage to something".

ulting mo moralistic ralistic //mm rr ''llIIst stIIk/ k/having or showing very fixed ideas about whatis right or wrong, especially when this causesyou to judge other people's behaviour.