MTRCB Orders Netflix: Pull Out ‘Pine Gap’ Scenes With China’s Nine-Dash Line
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board noted that the portrayal of China’s illegal nine-dash line in “Pine Gap” was no accident as it was “consciously designed” to convey a message that it legitimately exists.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has ordered Netflix Inc., to pull out episodes of political drama “Pine Gap” with a map showing China’s nine-dash line and violating Philippine sovereignty, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday, Nov. 1.
The MTRB handed down its decision on Sept. 28 based on a complaint lodged by the DFA.
“After a thorough review, the board ruled that certain episodes of ‘Pine Gap’ are unfit for public exhibition,” the department said.
“The board also ordered the immediate pullout of episodes by its provider, Netflix Inc., from its video streaming platform,” the DFA said in a statement.
In its decision, the MTRCB stressed that “under a whole-of-nation approach, every instrumentality of the government, whenever presented with the opportunity, has the responsibility to counter China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea to assert the Philippines’ territorial integrity.”
“It further noted that the portrayal of the illegal nine-dash line in (‘Pine Gap’) is no accident as it was consciously designed and calculated to specifically convey a message that China’s nine-dash line legitimately exists,” the DFA said.
“Such portrayal is a crafty attempt to perpetuate and memorialize in the consciousness of the present generation of viewers and the generations to come the illegal nine-dash line. Using the medium of a motion picture is but China’s unconventional approach to gain an upper hand in the territorial conflict in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea,” the DFA added.
The department said it expects Netflix to comply with the ruling.
