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Federation leader Nathan Law says he doesn't have a strong view on quitting the pro-democracy alliance that organises the annual vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown. Photos: AFP, Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong student federation may quit pro-democracy alliance ahead of Tiananmen vigil

Cabinet 'squarely divided' on whether to quit pro-democracy group that has reduced Tiananmen vigil to a 'ritual', says new leader

The student body behind the Occupy movement is split on whether it should join the annual vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown and quit the pro-democracy alliance that organises it.

Nathan Law Kwun-chung, the new secretary general of the Federation of Students, told the yesterday that his cabinet would make it a priority to decide whether it should remain in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, as the vigil was only two months away.

While Law did not have a strong view on quitting the alliance, he said the new cabinet, formed by student-union heads of seven universities, was "squarely divided" on the issue.

"We don't want to forget the June 4 crackdown, but there are views in the federation that the candlelight vigil has been reduced to a ritual in recent years, lacking a fighting spirit," Law said. "We want to remind people what the students in 1989 were fighting for, their dreams."

He added that some of his colleagues had reservations about one of the alliance's slogans, "Build a democratic China".

The alliance was formed in 1989 to support the student pro-democracy movement in Beijing, which ended in a military crackdown. It has since held a vigil in Victoria Park every year. Last year, it said 180,000 people took part -the biggest crowd ever - while police put the number at 99,500.

The federation is a founding member of the alliance and its representatives have given speeches at past ceremonies. In the past few years, some Hongkongers were unhappy with the alliance's formality and staged ceremonies elsewhere.

Law said the federation would plan its own remembrance events as in the past. Last year, members distributed copies of 1989 newspapers to train passengers as a reminder.

The 57-year-old federation has re-emerged from Occupy as a major activist in social movements. It is expected to continue to play a key role in the fight for democracy.

Law, a third-year cultural studies student and one of the few Occupy leaders remaining in the federation's new leadership, said it was a hard choice to make in deciding to stay.

"I was tired after Occupy and I know this post will bring me a lot of pressure," he said.

"But I hope to contribute to the organisation with my experience and help the new leaders develop a working relationship with the civil society."

Law's predecessor Alex Chow Yong-kang said the sentiments against the alliance were understandable. "After Occupy, people are angry with Beijing's tough grip on Hong Kong's political reform. They feel lost about the city's relationship with China. It's hard for them to chant the alliance's slogan," Chow said.

While the city's democratic future was tied to China, the alliance should review its role and activities, he added.

Alliance chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said he respected the students' wish to organise separate plans for June 4 and added that "the vigil is not just a ritual".

"We have tried other ways to mourn before, but many have told us they want to keep the ceremony as it is, simple and serious. That's the way to draw the largest crowd and let Beijing know we won't forget," Ho said.

Other issues on the federation’s agenda include a campaign against the University Grants Council’s funding policy that favours international over local research. Law said local research was vital to developing ideologies for social movements and a group of public intellectuals for the city.

The federation will also draft a “self-determination charter”, with students and professors, on their vision for the city’s political, economic and cultural issues. 

Law added that by “self-determination”, the federation did not mean to advocate for an independent Hong Kong, but for maintaining the city’s high degree of autonomy in those areas.

“But the federation is an open platform for students to express their views. If some members want to discuss independence, we will allow them to do so. The government may not like this but we will not be scared,” Law said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Student federation may leave alliance
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