The Hong Kong government has condemned the organizers of a rugby tournament in South Korea after a pro-democracy protest song was played instead of the Chinese national anthem before the region’s team played a match. Footage shared on social media showed players looking confused as the song, Glory to Hong Kong, was played before the Asia Rugby Sevens Series final instead of the Chinese national anthem. The Hong Kong government “strongly regrets and opposes the playing of a song closely associated with violent protests and the ‘independence’ movement as the National Anthem of the People’s Republic of China,” it said in a statement. “The National Anthem is a symbol of our country. The tournament organizer has a duty to ensure that the National Anthem is given the respect it warrants,” a government spokesman said. Glory to Hong Kong was written by an anonymous composer and became an anthem for the pro-democracy movement during the 2019 protests, which drew huge crowds but grew increasingly violent as the months passed. Tournament organizers in Incheon, South Korea, apologized and played the Chinese national anthem after the match, which was won by the Hong Kong team. Hong Kong authorities said they had ordered the city’s rugby union to conduct an investigation and convey its “strong objection” to tournament organizer Asia Rugby. In a separate statement, the Hong Kong Rugby Union expressed its “extreme displeasure” at what had happened. The organization’s preliminary investigation found that the Chinese national anthem had been given to the organizers by the team’s coach and the protest song had been played by mistake. “While we accept that this is a case of human error, it was nevertheless unacceptable,” the HKRU said. The Chinese national anthem, March of the Volunteers, has been played at international events where Hong Kong has competed since the British handed the territory back to China in 1997. Playing Glory in Hong Kong in the territory is now illegal after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, which rights groups say has “decimated” dissent. It is also considered illegal under Hong Kong’s sedition law, according to the South China Morning Post. In September, a harmonica player who played the tune to a crowd honoring Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was arrested.
