Jackie Chan, stars protest magazine’s racy cover

Jackie Chan and other stars marched silently Tuesday to Hong Kong’s government headquarters, protesting against a gossip magazine that featured a cover photo of a pop singer changing backstage.

The celebrities, wearing black T-shirts, handed over a petition denouncing the photos that were secretly taken of Hong Kong pop singer Gillian Chung, part of the popular female duo Twins. The stars urged the government to tighten laws governing racy publications.

Chung was shown adjusting her bra backstage after a concert in Malaysia’s Genting Highlands. It appeared on the cover of the current issue of Easy Finder weekly.

The photos have sparked a major backlash. Government regulators have received a deluge of complaints. Hong Kong’s Obscene Articles Tribunal has classified the magazine issue “indecent,” which could lead to prosecution.

Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang spoke out against the photos Tuesday. “I identify with society’s strong criticism of these tactics,” he said.

Journalists have opposed restrictions on their coverage as a threat to press freedom. Legal reforms propose banning secret surveillance by private parties, but the government is still considering the recommendations.

Asked if he wants to see paparazzi photos banned completely, Chan said he believed celebrities should be held accountable for their actions.

“As public figures, we should allow our pictures to be taken. If we crash our cars when we’re drunk, it serves us right. People should scold us. But for a girl to be photographed when she’s in a changing room, such a private place, is despicable behavior,” he said.

Hong Kong’s celebrity-obsessed culture, its small size and its status as a hub for Chinese entertainment have made for a tense relationship between local paparazzi and movie and pop stars.

A local magazine was shut down temporarily amid a backlash after it published a cover photo of a visibly distressed, seminude female, widely reported to be actress Carina Lau, in October 2002.