Students and school bosses need to talk about Hong Kong independence posters, says Chris Patten
City’s last colonial governor criticises breakaway calls, saying they just strengthen pro-Beijingers’ hand in debate on political future
Hong Kong’s last colonial governor has said university bosses need to talk to pro-independence students over banners calling for the city’s breakaway, which have recently sprung up on local campuses.
Chris Patten, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Tuesday, criticised independence calls as “provocative” and “diluting supporting for democracy”, but stopped short of saying what else school heads could do to deal with them.
“They should start talking and not shouting at one another,” Patten said.
“I made clear I was also very much [against] allowing the campaign for democracy to morph into a campaign for independence, which isn’t going to happen, which is provocative, and which dilutes support for democracy.”
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He also said the trend for independence advocacy “simply strengthens hardliners on the mainland.”