National security law: Hong Kong education minister says schools should call police if they cannot handle students’ violations

In an interview with the Post, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung says ‘acts that endanger national security should not be allowed on campus’

A set of guidelines for educators regarding the national security law is also currently in the works

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Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung sits for an interview with the Post on Tuesday. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:00am, 2 Dec 2020Updated: 8:25am, 2 Dec 2020

Hong Kong schools should call police if students violated the national security law in a manner that was beyond administrators’ control, the city’s education minister told the Post on Tuesday.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said guidelines for educators regarding the sweeping legislation, imposed on the city by Beijing on June 30, would be issued this month at the earliest.

Under the law – which targets in broad terms any acts secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces, and carries sentences ranging up to life imprisonment – the city government is responsible for promoting national security education in schools and universities.

“We won’t allow political propaganda, and acts that endanger national security should not be allowed on campus,” Yeung said in an interview with the Post, noting officials were determining which parts of the law should be highlighted for educators.

A man walks past a banner advertising the National Security Law in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

While the government has deemed some things, such as the popular anti-government protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”, a violation of the national security law, Yeung said it would be impractical to list every potential infraction in the guidelines, especially in cases where grey areas could be involved.

But, he said, schools should be able to make a judgment as to what constituted a violation of the law.