Under National Security Law, HK School’s Decisions Based on Political Agenda

St. Francis Xavier's School issued an open letter to the parents of the students, stating that the school has decided to set up an independent investigation committee to investigate the incident in which 14 students were suspended for three days. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

Earlier, 14 students of a secondary school in Hong Kong were accused of disrespecting the flag-raising ceremony at the morning assembly, and the school suspended them from attending classes for three days. The incident caused some parents to look for other schools for their kids.

On Oct. 24, the school’s Supervisor, Rev. Brother John Chong Kee Ann, issued an open letter referring to the investigation of the punishment on Facebook. However, the letter was removed within an hour.

In an interview by The Epoch Times on Oct. 24, a whistleblower told that the school sent an open letter to the parents of the students on the same day, saying that after the special meeting of the school board on Oct. 19, the school decided to set up an independent investigation committee to investigate the incident.

Independent Investigation Committee to “Restore Confidence”

The school said that the members of the independent investigation committee would all be professionals and credible figures with no connection to the school, and it is expected to take 90 days. Afterwards, the Independent Investigation Committee will hand over a fair and impartial investigation report to the school board, giving teachers, students, parents, and the public an explanation, in order to “restore everyone’s confidence in the school.”

Brother John gave a wish to “Forge ahead” at the end of the letter.

Ironically, the open letter was uploaded and removed from the school’s Facebook within an hour.

When interviewed by The Epoch Times, Mrs. Chen, one of the parents, criticized, saying, “This letter from the school is completely meaningless to us.” Mrs. Chen emphasized that after 14 students were punished for “disrespecting the school” and suspected of violating the National Security Law, the parents of the students have completely lost confidence in the school.

Mrs. Chen said frankly that she was worried that her son might become the next victim and that her son might even be arrested for violating the National Security Law. Mrs. Chen reiterated that since the incident, she has been looking for another school for her son, “I don’t want to let my son study in this school anymore.”

Choi Yuk-lin, director of the Education Bureau, answered a reporter’s question about whether she thought the school’s punishment for students to suspend classes was appropriate or that the punishment was too strict. Choi refused to give comments about how individual school rules are handled.

Since the establishment of the National Security Law, many Hong Kong people have become self-threatening because they can barely see the political red line.

The school sent an open letter to the parents of the students on Oct. 24, stating that the school decided to set up an independent investigation committee to investigate the earlier incident of 14 students who were punished and suspended for three days. However, the letter was removed within an hour. (Courtesy of the interviewee)

In 2020, the Hong Kong government passed the draft amendments to the “National Flag Law” and “National Emblem Law” in response to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Hong Kong international relations scholar Simon Shen once pointed out that the above-mentioned law uses criminal liability to force the people to “respect” the totems of the CCP; in addition, The first Chief Justice of Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, Andrew Li Kwok-nang, also raised three major concerns for the National Flag Law and the National Emblem Law: (1) containing ideological terms, or changing the nature of common law; (2) vague definitions; (3) proposed penalties that are too strict.

Some Background Information

Some parents broke the news to The Epoch Times earlier that some students were still eating breakfast in the eating area of the playground at the time of the incident, while the school requested the students to attend assembly strictly at 8:05 a.m. When the national anthem suddenly started to play, 14 Form 2 and Form 6 students were not able to make it.

The vice-principal Law then walked to the playground, reprimanded the 14 students involved, and ordered the students to stand on the spot and wait for the director of student affairs to deal with the issue. On the same day, the 14 students involved were told to leave the school immediately and were suspended from classes for 3 days for “disrespecting the school” and suspected of violating the National Security Law.