By IANS,
London : Hollywood actor Jackie Chan has caused uproar amongst pro-democracy groups after allegedly stating that the people of China “need to be controlled” by a strict government.
The action star, a Hong Kong native, reportedly spoke about the dangers of China adopting a democratic stance at a business forum in China’s Hainan province April 18, reported contactmusic.com.
“I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not. I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want,” said Chan.
The “Rush Hour” actor added that the social structure in Taiwan, a democratic country which gained independence from China in 1949, is “chaotic”.
Chan’s comments have come under fire from Taiwanese and Hong Kong lawmakers and democracy advocates.
“He has insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren’t pets. Chinese society needs a democratic system to protect human rights and rule of law,” said Leung Kwok, Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator.
Fellow lawmaker Albert Ho states: “People around the world are running their own countries. Why can’t Chinese do the same?”