TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) has denied allegations of self-censorship following controversy over a Golden Melody Awards (金曲獎) official Facebook post. Li, on Monday (July 1), clarified that he has always championed freedom of speech and it's improbable for self-censorship to occur in this era of free speech.
The controversy arose after Taiwanese singer-songwriter Panai (巴奈) mentioned the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident during her speech at the 35th Golden Melody Awards (第35屆金曲獎). The event took place at Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋) on June 29, where Panai was nominated for Best Taiwanese Female Singer. However, her speech was not fully presented on the official Facebook page of the Golden Melody Awards, leading to public suspicion of self-censorship.
Panai was attacked by Chinese online users after her speech, with rumors circulating that she would be blacklisted by Chinese music platforms. Li Yuan emphasized that the Ministry of Culture would support Panai in her international journey and stressed that Taiwan has always been a leader in the Chinese world in film, television, and music. He argued that creativity thrives only in a free and democratic country like Taiwan.
In a show of support for Panai, Li Yuan posted on Facebook, highlighting that Panai has always been a social activist singer. He noted that her receiving the award for her Taiwanese album holds special significance.
