Comedian Uncle Roger's social media accounts frozen after jokes about China

The comedian's accounts on two social media platforms were suspended after he posted a video that poked fun at China's government.

Comedian Nigel Ng, whose stage persona is Uncle Roger, had his Weibo and Bilibili accounts suspended. Source: Twitter

Key Points

• Chinese social media platforms have suspended accounts belonging to comedian Nigel Ng, who performs as Uncle Roger.
• A message on his Weibo profile reads he has been banned: "Due to violation of relevant laws and regulations".
• A recent video he posted poked fun at China's authoritarian regime.

Chinese social media platforms have suspended an account belonging to a British-Malaysian comedian, Nigel Ng.

It comes after Ng posted a video last week promoting an upcoming show. In character as Uncle Roger, he pokes fun at China's authoritarian government.

Ng asks an audience member where he was from and when the response was “Guangzhou, China”, Ng responded “Good country! Good country!”

He goes on to say: “We have to say that now, correct? All the phones listening."

After asking the audience if anyone is from Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing views as its own, he said: "Not a real country. I hope one day you rejoin the motherland."

Uncle Roger has more than 400,000 followers on Weibo. Credit: Aleisha Orr

Ng's profile on Weibo, where he has more than 400,000 followers, currently has a message that reads: "Due to violation of relevant laws and regulations, the user is currently banned".

The Guardian and BBC report his account on Bilibili, a video-sharing platform, was also frozen over the weekend.

Ng, while not directly referencing the matter, said in a tweet on Monday in which he re-shared the video: "For some reason this clip got a ton of views this weekend. I wonder why".

Earlier this month, a Chinese comedian's joke about the nation's military spurred online uproar, a $3.15 million fine, a police probe, and a sweep of cancelled shows.

Li Haoshi, whose stage name was House, went viral when an audience member posted a description of a joke he had made during a set on 13 May, suggesting it was demeaning to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Beijing’s Culture and Tourism Bureau slapped a 14.7 million yuan ($3.15 million) fine on Xiaoguo Culture Media Co — Li's employer — and barred the company from hosting performances in Beijing and Shanghai, saying it would "never allow any company or individual use the Chinese capital as a stage to wantonly slander the glorious image of the PLA".

Beijing police said on their Weibo social media account that they were investigating Li.

- With Reuters.