×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Beijing drafts law to punish those who wear clothes 'detrimental' to others

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

Manga-inspired cosplay fans attend a comics expo in Shanghai, China, July 11, 2013. [AFP]

In what appears to be the latest of Beijing's crackdowns on freedom of expression, China is circulating a draft version of a law that would punish people for wearing clothes that "are deemed detrimental or hurtful to China's spirit or sentiments."

Violators could be detained for five to 10 days and fined as much as 5,000 yuan, or $687.67, a significant amount in a nation where the per capita income hovers near 100,000 yuan, or just over $13,700, according to the International Monetary Fund. Online public response has been withering, calling the proposed law "overintervention" and "absurd."

Premium Article

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Fact-first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
Continue Reading  →
What you get
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimised reading
  • Weekly newsletters & digests
Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payments Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902
Sports
It's fresh faces and familiar rivals as Stars prepare for 2027 Afcon
Football
SportPesa Premier League: APS Bomet edge Bandari to ease relegation fears
Rugby
Experienced Okello, Chajira named in Kenya Lionesses squad for Rugby Africa Cup
Football
McCarthy set for emotional South Africa reunion after AFCON Draw