A demonstrator displays a banner reading ‘refuse brain washing’ during a protest against the government’s efforts to implement national education in Hong Kong. (DALE de la REY/AFP/GettyImages)
On Saturday around 40,000 Hong Kong residents protested against government plans to introduce a national education course that celebrates communism and single-party rule. The protest took place just days before the start of the new school year.
Many see the course as an attempt to glorify the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, while sanitizing its past and present wrongdoings.
This latest attempt to “brainwash” Hong Kong children is not going down well.
[Hong Kong Parent]:
“This national education course is basically rubbish. I think the government has not reacted [to the opposition] yet, and I think all parents should stand up against it.”
Hong Kong maintains its own distinct political and economic system under the “one country, two systems” policy.
But locals are increasingly viewing the Hong Kong government as another arm of the CCP and have become wary of attempts that take away the independence and freedoms they’ve had, such as freedom of the press, freedom to protest and religious freedom.
They also reject the CCP’s attempt to mix patriotism, or love for China, as love for the CCP—something that the CCP has successfully done in mainland China.
[Hong Kong Parent]:
“What we love is China in the Tang Dynasty, in the Northern Song Dynasty, not the current People’s Republic of China. We can see what it’s doing, we cannot love it, so we are really opposed to this national education course.”
A protest organizer says resistance will continue.
[Andrew Shum Wai-nam, Spokesman, Civil Alliance Against National Education]:
“For each day that the government fails to pull this course, we will not pull out. I think this is a very strong message.”
On Saturday night, an education bureau spokesman said the government would “continue to listen to the alternate views of different groups of people,” and that individual schools would be permitted to design and develop their own curricula.
Parents, children and students demonstrated their resolve by protesting in torrential rain storms.
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大家都来看”九评共产党” ( VCD, 书)!
Let’s find “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party”(VCD, books)!
快上大纪元声明退出共产党和共产党其它组织(/团/队)，抹去邪恶的印记!
Quit the Evil Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations today!
