WHAT’S THE STORY?

A Boycott of French cosmetics giant Lancome has been called for in a row over the cancellation of a promotional concert in Hong Kong.

Pro-democracy pop star Denise Ho, who was to sing at the event, has now accused the company of “tarnishing” her reputation.

She claims Lancome invited her to perform at the fully booked concert on June 19 then cancelled it because of protests from mainland China over her appearance.

The free event was announced by the company last week but was pulled after the Global Times, a Beijing newspaper, condemned Lancome for “inviting Ho – a Hong Kong and Tibet independence advocate – to promote their products in Hong Kong”.

The paper’s post on Weibo, the microblogging site, sparked a furious response with some “netizens” on mainland China calling for a boycott of the company on the grounds it could not have “such a person” promoting the brand and still “earn Chinese money”.

Next day, Lancome scrapped the concert for “possible safety reasons” adding in a Facebook post that Ho was not a spokeswoman for the brand.

The 39-year-old had previously stated on her Facebook page that she would sing at the concert.

WHAT HAS HO DONE?

Ho called on Lancome to give a proper explanation over why the event was cancelled.

She said the company had “seriously misled” the public and “tarnished my personal reputation”.

“I express my extreme regret [about Lancome’s announcements],” Ho wrote. “I understood that the decisions were made by the brand’s head office in France, and I urge it to come clean on the decision, to clear my name and give the public a reasonable explanation.

“The world’s values have been seriously twisted when we have to be punished for seeking freedom, justice and equality, and we must face the problem seriously when an international brand like Lancome has to kneel down to this bullying hegemony,” she added.

Ho is blacklisted by the Chinese media for frequently promoting political views opposed to the policies of the Communist Party in China.

She played an active part in the pro-democracy protests of 2014 in Hong Kong and was one of the first celebrities to be arrested after joining the thousands of people who occupied parts of the city in a demand for fully free elections.

Ho also recently met Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama who has been considered an arch enemy of Beijing ever since he escaped to India after a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. The Chinese government accuse him of fomenting nationalism.

WILL THIS DO LANCOME ANY GOOD?

Musicians who support Tibetan independence are banned from playing in China and this is increasingly having an impact, according to critic and musician Adrian Chow.

“The China factor in the commercial world has a direct impact on the freedom of speech and creativity in Hong Kong,” he said. “Artists must be cautious with what they say and how they behave so that they will not become the ‘unfavourable factor’ for their potential clients’ businesses in mainland China.”

However, by pulling out of the event now, Lancome may have gained favour on mainland China but is still threatened with a boycott – this time from Ho’s supporters.

As of yesterday, nearly 30,000 people had posted angry emoticons on the company’s Facebook page along with many outraged comments. Among those protesting was Hong Kong musician Ivana Wong who posted “Lancome bye bye” on her social media page.

WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?

The Hong Kong democracy movement is seen as one of the most potent challenges to China’s Communist Party leadership since the bloody and ultimately tragic repression of the pro-democracy student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989.

The Hong Kong protestors want to choose their own leaders in the 2017 elections without Beijing interference but the Chinese government has stated that while universal suffrage will be allowed, candidates for the chief-executive post will be vetted.

The Communist leaders’ refusal to budge sparked the first big Hong Kong protests in September of 2014 with rallies attracting more than 100,000 people. Violent clashes saw protestors throwing hard hats and umbrellas – the symbols of their movement – at the police who tried to clear areas they were occupying.

The protestors believe Beijing has broken the 1984 agreement between the UK and China where the latter was supposed to govern the territory under the principle of “one country, two systems” enabling the city to have a “high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs” for 50 years after the 1997 handover.

The agreement means that rights including free speech and freedom of assembly are protected and Hong Kong has its own legal system.

ARE THE TRIADS INVOLVED?

Beijing had promised direct elections by 2017 for the chief executive but in August 2014 announced that voters would be restricted to a choice of two or three candidates previously selected by a special committee.

While this has caused widespread protests from pro-democracy campaigners like Ho, others in Hong Kong argue that such demonstrations “endanger” the city.

Pro-China groups such as Caring Hong Kong Power and the Silent Majority for Hong Kong have emerged, claiming that the pro-democracy campaigners are damaging the city’s economy and reputation as well as its relationship with Beijing.

It is not known how much real support these pro-Beijing groups have, especially as it has been revealed that some marchers on their protests were being paid to attend.

Last year, police said that some protestors who had been arrested after being involved in scuffles with pro-democracy campaigners had links to triad gangs.

China has moved to condemn all the pro-democracy protests branding campaigners as “extremely violent”.

“We hope that the moderate pan-democrats will see through the true face of radical forces,” said Song Ruan, deputy commissioner for Beijing’s foreign affairs office in Hong Kong.

His words are unlikely to quell the protests in the city which seem certain to escalate as 2017 draws closer.