CUHK students speak out against separatism advocacy
A group of Chinese University of Hong Kong students and alumni on Thursday voiced strong objections to the university student union’s separatist advocacy on campus.
They displayed posters stating that the student union does not represent them, and can’t speak for the CUHK.
Expressing disapproval at the student union’s decision to put “pro-independence” posters on campus, they said the union should not impose its political views on other students and claim to represent them. Fellow students should say “No” to the union’s tactics, they added.
Student groups that endorsed the anti-separatist campaign on Thursday said in a social media post that students should refuse to remain silent when they face provocations that spread “Hong Kong independence” notions among university students.
The campaign was organized one day after a video clip was widely circulated online, showing a CUHK student from the mainland tearing down “Hong Kong independence” posters put up on campus billboards in a designated area under management of the school’s student union.
In the video, she criticized the student union’s posters which occupied the entire billboard space, leaving no room for others to express different views.
Thursday’s campaign saw participants remove the student union’s posters and invite interested parties to join a rational dialogue and write down their ideas on the new posters they set up.
A biology master’s student at CUHK surnamed Hu posted an anti-separatism poster. He said promoting “Hong Kong independence” is against the Basic Law and separatist advocacy and attempts should be resolutely condemned.
A tourism management graduate of the university also came to show support. Sur-
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named Xia, the graduate said what the student union promoted was wrong and they should be held responsible for their illegal acts.
A social sciences student at CUHK, surnamed Cao, said students should express opinions rationally but the student union abused campus space to express opinions held by only a small group of students and refused to hear any different voices.
This is not real freedom of expression and is against freedom of expression, as it violates and disregards such rights of other people, he said.
Police Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung, in response to press questions about the CUHK campus controversy, on Thursday said “Hong Kong independence” contravenes the Basic Law and police will stringently enforce the law if anyone attempts to break it.
On the same day, CUHK Vice-Chancellor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu said on his online blog that the idea of an “independent” Hong Kong is in breach of the Basic Law, advising students to conduct rational discussion and debates on political issues.
Sung said the campus is a place for learning and should not be used for advancing political agendas.