Social groups hit out at campus politics

With a new semester approaching, social groups in Hong Kong on Thursday voiced their opposition to any individual or organization planning to bring unrest onto campuses with boycotts of schools or bullying others for holding different political views.

They stated their position amid growing concern of possible strike campaigns scheduled to be held weekly from September 2, as well as widespread worries of bullying targeting students, especially children of the city's police officers.

At a news conference held Thursday, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city's largest political party in the Legislative Council, stressed its firm opposition to the strike campaign.

Parents have expressed worries to the DAB over the possible impact on children's studies brought by the class boycott, according to DAB chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king.

They also fear their children may be bullied by schoolmates for not joining the strike.

Responding to these worries, the DAB said it opposes the call for a boycott, which may disrupt the atmosphere on Hong Kong campuses.

The DAB launched an anti-strike campaign on Thursday morning. It will deploy people across the city to promote anti-strike messages and offer assistance to parents and students.

On Thursday morning, some DAB members also met with Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung to offer suggestions for coping with the planned strike.

Also on Thursday, the New Territories School Heads Association, a union of primary and secondary schools, appealed to principals and teachers to reject the boycott and instead remain in their posts.

In a statement, the association expressed its hope for a "peaceful and orderly campus".

Some local groups have also raised concern of possible bullying or discrimination on campuses in the coming semester.

In a meeting with Under Secretary for Labor and Welfare Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, some representatives of local police associations expressed worries that the children of police officers may be targeted.

Due to a growing hatred of police officers, the past two months have seen many police officers and their family members have their personal information leaked, with others suffering verbal abuse.

Meeting the press after the meeting, chairman of the Junior Police Officers Association Lam Chi-wai said any bullying that targets the children of police will not occur in Hong Kong's education system.

He called on teachers to oppose such tendencies and show zero tolerance.

In the face of these growing concerns, the special administrative region's government has already made precautions as the heads of Education Bureau, Labor and Welfare Bureau, and Food and Health Bureau announced countermeasures at an inter-departmental news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Thursday issued a letter to all of the city's parents, appealing to them to double their efforts in caring and communicating with their children.

According to Secretary for Labor and Welfare Law Chi-kwong, 18 welfare organizations have added manpower to strengthen services in more than 220 secondary schools for when the new semester begins.