SOUTHERN PEOPLE WEEKLY (China), MING PAO (Hong Kong)
HONG KONG - Martial arts star, Jackie Chan, has kicked up a fuss this week when suggesting that Hong Kong authorities should crackdown on the nation's burgeoning protest movement.
Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, told China's Southern People Weekly: "Hong Kong has become a city of protest. People scold China's leaders, or anything else they like, and protest against everything.
"The authorities should stipulate what issues people can protest over and on what issues it is not allowed," he said.
He also commented on Britain's former colonial rule over Hong Kong, which ended in 1997: "Hong Kong in the British era was not so free. Did you hear so much gossipy news? Were there so many taking to the streets? No. Very well behaved. The British badly repressed us," he told the magazine.
In recent years, residents of Hong Kong have started to take to the streets to protest against China encroaching in Hong Kong affairs.
The movie star's political opinions immediately aroused public outrage in Hong Kong, with one human rights group leader, Wang Haoxian, describing his words as "shameful."
Hong Kong's daily Ming Pao ran an editorial Friday that read: "Jackie Chan the film star may have made it to Hollywood, but his ideology still remains firmly in the Qing Dynasty."
Netizens also expressed their outrage at his comments, posting online comments asking whether Jackie Chan had "water on the brain," or suggesting that "The Hong Kong government should publish legislation restricting Jackie Chan from speaking in public."
Jackie Chan (George Blard)
It is not the first time the kung-fu star has caused controversy. Over the past few years, he has repeatedly made remarks on several occasions about Taiwan's democracy being "a big joke."
Accused of playing up to China, he was continuously expressed his views that Hong Kong and Taiwan have too much freedom, while promoting the reunification of Taiwan and China.
