Hong Kong police have warned that anyone found downloading or sharing a mobile game app, Reversed Front: Bonfire, may be punished under national security laws, the BBC reports.
According to the website for Reversed Front: Bonfire, players can “pledge allegiance” to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, or Uyghurs, among other options, “to overthrow the Communist regime”.
The game, launched in April, also allows for users to play as communists to fight enemies and support the communist revolution.
But Hong Kong police see it as more than just a game, warning that those who download the game “may be regarded as in possession of a publication that has a seditious intention”.
The police insist the game was released as a disguised form of promoting secessionist agendas such as “Taiwan independence” and “Hong Kong independence”, adding: “Those who have downloaded the application should uninstall it immediately and must not attempt to defy the law.”
The BBC reports that, as of Wednesday, the game was no longer accessible on Google Play or Apple’s App Store from Hong Kong. This appeared to bring greater attention to the game, which this week became the most popular search term on Google among Hong Kong residents.
The game is the most recent target of the national security law (NSL) imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in 2020. Critics say it effectively outlawed dissent, but Beijing insists that it is crucial for maintaining stability.
The NSL − which criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces – was introduced as a response to widespread pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019.