事緣Lancôme原訂於2016年6月19日，與香港異見歌手何韻詩合辦小型音樂會。活動宣傳發出後，遭中共官媒《環球時報》於6月4日點名批評，指Lancôme聘用「支持港毒、力挺藏毒頭目」。

Lancôme於6月5日下午隨即在社交網站發表聲明，指何韻詩並非其品牌代言人，晚上10時更宣佈取消有關活動。6月6日何韻詩發表聲明，對Lancôme突然單方面終止合作表示極度遺憾，並且要求Lancôme法國總公司公開交代原因。

何韻詩是首位公開同志身份的香港女歌手，近年積極參與同志運動，因而受到保守勢力打擊。2014年香港爆發全球矚目的雨傘運動，何韻詩更身體力行留守佔領區，參與公民抗命。其後，她與其他文化演藝界人士成立「文化界監察暴力行動組」，繼續關注民主運動以及針對示威者的暴力問題。由於何韻詩的政治立場，她在工作上遭到中共政權及親中共財團的全面封殺。

中共政權利用經濟力量封殺異見人士，這種壓迫存在已久。包括何韻詩在內少數敢於發表異見的香港藝人，一直受到不同程度的打壓。令人意外的是，一直聲稱關注社會責任及企業倫理，自許為女性充權的國際知名，竟然也甘心向獨裁政權下跪。據何韻詩的聲明指出，單方面取消合作是Lancôme總公司的決定。因此，L’Oréal集團必須為是次事件負上全責。

L’Oréal集團奉「真誠、尊重、勇敢、透明」為企業倫理的原則，強調美麗是「能夠令所有人表達個性，增添自信，向他人開放自己」，但今次事件的表現卻是背道而馳。我們深信，真正的美麗不可能容許自由和良知的缺席。今次Lancôme的行逕，不只是侮辱何韻詩，更是侮辱追求民主多年的香港人，侮辱尊重民主自由價值的世界公民。這是對言論自由的嚴重威脅，孤立的香港人呼喚正義支援。

我們嚴正要求L’Oréal集團，為是次事件公開解釋及鄭重道歉，並承諾日後不會受政治壓力而作出如此類似的自我審查。在L’Oréal集團妥善回應之前，我們懇切呼籲支持民主自由的國際朋友，即時罷買L’Oréal集團旗下所有產品。

發起團體：

社會民主連線

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A call for justice and support from Hong Kong — Boycott L’Oréal for Self-censorsip

Lancôme has cancelled its promotional concert with Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze due to ‘possible safety reasons’ after receiving criticism from the Beijing newspaper Global Times on Ho’s pro-democracy stance. Lancôme is kneeling down in the face of this autocratic hegemony and we urge for a formal apology from Lancôme. Before any proper arrangement from L’Oréal, the parent company of Lancôme, we call for a global boycott of L’Oréal among all international democratic supporters.

Lancôme planned to co-organize a mini concert with Denise Ho on 19th June,2016 but soon received criticism from Global Times on 4th June, accusing Ho as Hong Kong independence movement supporter. Lancôme issued a statement on 5th June to deny Ho as its brand representative and subsequently cancelled the concert later that day. Ho expressed her regret on the termination of cooperation through her statement issued on 6th June and urged Lancôme’s France head office to give public explanation of this incident.

Denise Ho is the first Hong Kong pop singer to publicly reveal her homosexual identity and she actively participated in LGBT social movements in recent years. Ho also joined the Umbrella Movement in 2014 for civil disobedience actions. She then established Hong Kong Shield with other artists concerning democratic movements and violence repressions on protestors. Due to her political stance, Ho is blacklisted by China market.

It is not surprising that the Chinese government abuses its economic power to suppress democratic supporters. What shocks the society is that an international brand emphasizing social responsibility and women empowerment like Lancôme also kneels down to the bullying government. According to Ho’s statement, the cancellation was the sole decision made by Lancôme head office. L’Oréal shall bear all responsibility of this incident.

L’Oréal upholds “integrity, respect, coursge and transparency” as its ethical principles, and emphasizes that beauty can “enabkes all individuals to express their personalities, gain self-confidence and open up to others”. Denise Ho’s incident ia undoubtedly a great contradiction to L’Oréal’s missions. We believe that true beauty comes with liberty and conscience. Lancôme not only assaulted Denise Ho, but also assaulted Hong Kong citizens who fight for democracy for years, and all global citizens embracing democracy and liberty.

Responding to this serious threat to freedom of speech, we call for support from all international friends — to boycott L’Oréal and all its supervising products now. We urge for explanation and apology regarding this incident from L’Oréal and its promise not to carry out political censorship in the future.

Initiating organization:

League of Social Democrats