Chinese folk singer Song Dongye was caught smoking marijuana five years ago and was sentenced to ten days in prison for doing so. According to a Justice Department newspaper, 57 grams of cannabis were seized from him at the time. In such cases, the Chinese Ministry of Culture also imposes a three-year ban on performing. Whoever takes drugs, so the message, must not be a role model for the youth. Although the mandatory break has long since passed, a concert by the singer in Chengdu has been canceled at short notice because, as Song himself says, he had been blackened by the authorities. According to him, it wasn't the first time. "I don't understand," wrote Song in a lengthy blog post. "Do the laws and regulations matter, or does someone's complaint matter?"

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for China, North Korea and Mongolia.

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In his contribution under the heading “I have to say something”, the musician was deeply frustrated that he was still being blamed for his misstep in 2016.

"Shouldn't society give people who have broken the law a second chance?" He wrote.

And: “I was informed.

I have understood.

I've changed.

I never did anything wrong again.

Isn't that enough to get me back to work? ”He insists on his right to work.

As a result, his account on the Weibo social network was blocked and all of his posts were deleted.

Reason: Violation of the network's guidelines.

The Chinese police responded on Thursday with a comment posted on the Ministry of Public Security's website: "Artists who have been exposed to drugs can of course go back to work, but they must never become public figures again and no longer enjoy flowers and applause." pollute the atmosphere in the entertainment industry, if not all of society ”. The police accused Song of downplaying drug offenses in his Internet post because he differentiated between consumers and drug dealers and because he wrote that the pressure in show business was so great that many artists suffered from depression. In such moments of weakness they are easy prey for drug traffickers. The police commentator demandedan example must be made in the singer. "Only if we make bad artists pay a high price for their illegal behavior can that act as a deterrent to other public figures." The policeman went so far as to bring the blood of his colleagues in the drug search, killed on duty, against Song's right to perform . After all, they couldn't come back either. Song wrote on his blog: “I feel so unfairly treated. After all, I didn't kill a drug agent. "to bring the blood of his colleagues killed on duty in the drug search against Song's right to appear in the field. After all, they couldn't come back either. Song wrote on his blog: “I feel so unfairly treated. After all, I didn't kill a drug agent. "to bring the blood of his colleagues killed on duty in the drug search against Song's right to appear in the field. After all, they couldn't come back either. Song wrote on his blog: “I feel so unfairly treated. After all, I didn't kill a drug agent. "

The case was prominently reported in the state media. It is further proof that the morale guards of the Communist Party have targeted the entertainment industry even more than usual and want to “clean up” according to their values ​​in order to expand the party's influence on social developments. Rock musician Cui Jian wrote on Weibo that his CD store had been closed by police after unknown people claimed he was giving away CDs from a banned musician; What was meant was probably Song Dongye. On Wednesday it hit another artist. The Global Times reported that a concert by singer Li Daimo in Anhui Province was canceled because he was sentenced to several months in prison in 2014 for drug abuse.Every concert in China, including all titles played, must be approved in advance. So before it was banned, another agency had given the go-ahead.