Notes » August 2003

Bar Specific

After the Izzue flap, Nazi symbolism in Hong Kong is a target.

Bar Pacific, a karaoke bar in the district of Hung Hom, came under scrutiny for using photographs of Adolf Hitler, Nazi troops, and even one of a Nazi soldier executing a prisoner to decorate the walls. The bar has had the images up for the past four years without drawing a complaint. Once the German and Israeli consuls-general learned of their existence, they complained, resulting in the immediate removal of the gruesome execution photo, which depicted a Nazi soldier shooting a man at the edge of a pit filled with other execution victims. The Israeli consul-general said:

The use of Nazi symbols in any way is wrong. It is way beyond my understanding, how people can enjoy a drink and sing karaoke whilst viewing pictures of executions carried out by Nazi soldiers. Removing one picture is not enough. Hitler is the symbol of evil and crimes against humanity, and he shouldn't be legitimised in any way.

Despite giving way on the worst image, the bar owner refused to take down the other images at first:

I would like to ask, is it illegal to have these pictures on the wall?

These pictures show a process of history. Why should I take them down? These objections are only the personal views of the consuls-general. I know Hitler killed a lot of Jews, but I never meant to offend anyone with these pictures. I like to show these photographs because of my love for history. My customers like the pictures and talk about them. They think the pictures are beautiful. No customer has ever been offended by them.

Our target customers are not foreigners. All of them are local people. To them, the pictures are not offensive.

He added that his other bar, also called Bar Pacific, has images on the walls from the time of the Opium Wars. He then said:

In one of the pictures, someone is taking opium. If a reformed drug addict came in and said 'I don't like that picture', should I also take it down? It is impossible for me to fulfil all the needs of people of different nationalities from all over the world.

Shortly after giving the interview, the owner's accountant indicated that he had decided to remove all Nazi-related photographs. To his credit, he moved a lot faster than the folks at Izzue did.

The Israeli consul-general now plans to meet with Hong Kong's government to discuss lapses in the education system regarding WWII. He said only public pressure and education could teach people to "distance themselves completely from symbols that portray evil, immorality and crimes against humanity." While I agree people need to be aware that glorifying Nazi symbolism is inappropriate, I hope the zeal to prevent it from being used commercially doesn't backfire and frighten people away from studying the past.

That would be the epitome of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

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