National security law: don’t let students become political pawns, Hong Kong education chief says, calling for ban on protest anthem

Name: China’s emblem goes up as Hong Kong hotel becomes Beijing’s national security office in city
Uploaded: 2020-07-08T13:06:28.000Z
Duration: 34 s
Description: China’s emblem goes up as Hong Kong hotel becomes Beijing’s national security office in city

Under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to incite students to indicate their stance on evolving political issues, Kevin Yeung says

But education lawmaker accuses minister of suppressing pupils’ freedom of speech

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Students have formed human chains to protest political issues throughout the past year. Photo: Wong Tsui-kai

Chan Ho-him

Published: 9:06pm, 8 Jul 2020Updated: 11:49pm, 8 Jul 2020

Hong Kong schools should protect students from being used as “political chips” and the singing of a popular anti-government protest song should be banned on campus, the education minister said on Wednesday.

But education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen accused the minister of suppressing students’ freedom of speech.

The call by Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung’s came days after his bureau asked schools to review their library books to ensure they conformed to the new national security law that prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Yeung said Glory to Hong Kong, the anthem of the anti-government movement, contained strong political messages and was closely tied with recent violence or illegal incidents.

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China’s emblem goes up as Hong Kong hotel becomes Beijing’s national security office in city

Students often sang the song when forming human chains or staging class boycotts in protest over the past year.

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