bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Patsy Moy

Award-winning actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai has infuriated human rights activists by voicing support for the actions of the Central government during the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Democrats and activists accused the former Cannes award-winner and star of the blockbuster Infernal Affairs  of courting Beijing to boost his career on the mainland.

Leung, who was on the mainland yesterday to promote his new film, Hero,  did not return calls, despite repeated attempts to contact him last night.

In his interview with B International,  a Hong Kong English-language magazine, Leung, 40, drew an analogy between Beijing and the emperor Qin Shihuang, portrayed in his movie.

Leung's character is opposed to murdering the tyrannical emperor, believing Qin to be the only warlord capable of uniting China, which would eventually lead to peace. However, his views upset his friends and lover, who want to kill the emperor.

'I agree with the message [of peace and human kindness in the film],' he was quoted as saying.

'For example, during the June 4 incident, I didn't join in any demonstrations, because what the Chinese government did was right - to maintain stability, which was good for everybody.'

Hero,  directed by top mainland film-maker Zhang Yimou, also stars Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi. It opens in Hong Kong on Thursday and across the mainland this week.

Democratic legislator Szeto Wah, also the chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, accused Leung of speaking out of self interest.

Mr Szeto said: 'It is very sad if Mr Leung has made such a remark. It appears that personal interest has clouded his perception of what is right and wrong. Did Mr Leung see the massacre on television? What he has done is probably to prepare himself for building a career on the mainland.

'In fact, people all over the world, including non-Chinese people, have come to the conclusion that it was absolutely wrong for Beijing to kill the civilians.'

Mr Szeto's fellow Legco member, Lee Cheuk-yan, called on the actor to withdraw his remark.

'Mr Leung has the right to express his opinions. However, we would feel very disappointed if Mr Leung had linked the killings in the June 4 incident to peace and human kindness,' Mr Lee said. 'Mr Leung seemed to give his support to the killings, which were evil and brutal. Like the tyrant Qin, Beijing cannot use the excuse of maintaining stability to justify its high-handed measures against civilians.

'I am surprised to see somebody justify the June 4 incident seemingly to satisfy his own interests. I think Mr Leung should clarify his remark.'

But director Derek Yee Tung-sing, president of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild and a friend of Leung for 20 years, said: 'From my understanding of Tony, he is not someone who is so political as to make the sort of analogy claimed by the magazine.'

Leung was the first Hong Kong star to win a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 for his role as a newspaper reporter in In The Mood For Love, directed by acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai.

In 1994, the Hong Kong-born former TVB actor won the Best Actor award at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei for his role in Chungking Express  - also directed by Wong.



'What the Chinese government did on June 4 was right - to maintain stability'