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National education in Hong Kong
Hong KongEducation

Pupil suspended by school for displaying ‘free Hong Kong’ slogan during online classes, as officials warn actions could violate national security law

  • Profile picture of Form Four student at Heung To Middle School in Kowloon Tong showed flag displaying political slogan
  • Education Bureau says it has already contacted school over message, which it says implies independence, secession and subversion

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Heung To Middle School in Kowloon Tong is back in the news. Photo: Handout
Chan Ho-him

A pupil who displayed a photo with the political slogan “Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now” during online classes has been suspended for a week by his secondary school, according to its student concern group.

The teenager, a Form Four pupil at Heung To Middle School in Kowloon Tong, reportedly had an image of a flag bearing the slogan as his profile picture for online lessons.

On Tuesday night, the Education Bureau said it had already contacted the school over the issue, and said the phrase carried implications of Hong Kong independence, secession or subverting the power of the central government under the city’s national security law.
Similar slogans, such as “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times”, were deemed to violate the legislation by the Hong Kong government after the law came into effect on June 30.

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“We understand that the school has been dealing with the incident seriously,” a bureau spokeswoman said. “We will keep in contact with the school and continue to provide them with suitable professional advice.”

No one should attempt to challenge the national security legislation, she said, while adding the bureau also believed schools would give pupils the chance to correct any wrongdoing.

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