Chinese writer ordered by court to apologise for casting doubt on account of communist heroism during second world war
Legal action comes amid increasing control of the media since President Xi Jinping took power
A Chinese court has ordered the former chief editor of an influential magazine to apologise for challenging an official account of history, as Beijing further tightens limits on freedom of speech.
Hong Zhenkuai cast doubt on the story of the “Five Warriors of Mount Langyashan”, who allegedly jumped off a cliff while fighting the Japanese during the second world war rather than surrender.
They are touted as patriotic heroes in schoolbooks and propaganda by China’s ruling Communist Party as part of its nationalistic narrative.
But Hong pointed out discrepancies in the story in two 2013 articles for his progressive magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu, questioning whether two of the five had jumped at all.
The Beijing Xicheng District People’s Court ruled Monday that he had “tarnished their reputation and honour”, and hurt the feelings of their two sons, plaintiffs Ge Changsheng and Song Fubao, along with those of the Chinese people as a whole.
The court gave Hong three days to issue a public apology, it said in a statement on its website. It was unclear what penalty he would face should he fail to do so.