Taiwan band Chthonic live streams to HK after visa rejection

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) A Taiwanese heavy metal band performed for their fans in Hong Kong by live video streaming a performance Tuesday, after their frontman, a pro-Taiwan independence lawmaker, was denied a work visa to perform in the special administrative region.

Freddy Lim (林昶佐), a legislator from Taiwan's New Power Party and his band Chthonic jammed over Facebook Live with Canto-pop star Denise Ho on the second to last day of a music festival the band was invited to perform at.

Video taken from www.facebook.com/HOCCHOCC

According to Hong Kong media reports, Chthonic was originally slated to perform at the four-day music festival "On The Pulse Of," held Dec. 22, 23, 25 and 26 at Hong Kong Science Park, but the city's immigration officials refused to issue Lim a work visa.

In a letter from Hong Kong's Immigration Department last Friday posted on Ho's Facebook, Lim's work visa was refused on the grounds that he did not possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in the special administrative region.

According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report last Saturday, Ho said on her Facebook page that the application for the band was submitted on Nov. 12 with the authorities requesting the member's household registration details as additional materials on Dec. 3.

In response to the letter, Lim said that he would like to apologize for not having "super powers," and that he never thought the first time he would perform live with Ho would be over the internet between Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"It's a pity, but I am still very honored," Lim said, thanking Ho for the invitation.

During the live streaming, which suffered some lag, Ho jokingly said Lim's "super powers" were too strong and after the performance added that she planned to visit him and the band in Taiwan.