National Security Law and Covid-19: Universities under tension in Hong Kong

Text by: Romain Philips Follow

6 min

Between the Covid-19 and the national security law strengthening Beijing's grip on Hong Kong, the start of the school year in early September is already shaping up to be difficult.

Publicity

The return to school in September promises to be difficult for Hong Kong universities. As in many countries, universities must come to terms with their return to school with the health restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic . But above all, the law on national security , promulgated on June 30, raises fears of an unprecedented decline in freedom of expression and academic in the places of education of the semi-autonomous region. Freedoms supposed to be guaranteed until 2047 by the agreement to return the former British colony to China .

"  We will see what will happen, but obviously there is very strong pressure exerted on the universities  ", comments Jean-Philippe Béja, research director at CNRS and specialist in China. Since the summer, the first signals sent by the Hong Kong government have been far from reassuring for the academic world. The dismissal at the end of July of Benny Tai, a constitutional law specialist who had been teaching at the University of Hong Kong since 1991, is a perfect illustration of the threat the National Security Act poses to academics.

The day before, it was Shiu Ka-chun, also an academic and one of the leaders of the umbrella movement, just like Benny Tai, who lost his place at the Baptist University of Hong Kong. Both have been stripped of their functions for their membership in the protest movement against Beijing. An inveterate defender of non-violence, Benny Tai was also one of the organizers of the pro-democracy primaries.

" Brainwash "

The gaze of the Chinese Communist Party is all the more turned towards universities because of the enormous student mobilization which has widened the ranks of the pro-democracy movement. The monster demonstrations which punctuated more than a year during the province governed by the principle of "  one country, two systems  " revived the desire for sovereignty over Hong Kong by Chinese power. "  The authorities are obviously very worried about the youth who have been very active throughout 2019  ", explains the sinologist who worked for several years in Hong Kong.

A concern that risks translating into increased control of the opinions of young people and students, "  including on student organizations." There are completely autonomous student unions in Hong Kong which will undoubtedly be victims of pressure from both university and political authorities  , ”explains Jean-Philippe Béja. Several students have already been arrested this summer for their participation in the pro-democracy movement , in the name of the national security law.

Taught in high schools to forge a critical mind among young Hong Kong people, general culture courses, "  Liberal Studies  ", have also been reshaped by the pro-Beijing authorities in Hong Kong. On August 20, several media reported that Hong Kong publishers had been urged to remove certain " sensitive  " content  from textbooks. Thus, the notion of "  civil disobedience  ", photos of certain slogans of the pro-democracy protest movement as well as the names of political parties have disappeared from the works. “  Corrections  ” that will allow students to “  develop positive values  ”, according to the government.

From an early age, the pro-Beijing authorities therefore wish to extinguish dissenting political ambitions. "  In high schools, the pressure is even stronger to prohibit young people from playing politics,  " concludes Jean-Philippe Béja. In the expression "  to play politics  ", we must understand: "to  express opinions critical of the government  ", he specifies. Because conversely, “  brainwashing  ” is totally encouraged.

Fear of self-censorship

Hong Kong's proximity, and especially its status vis-à-vis China, has enabled Hong Kong universities to offer researchers the ideal place to study the region freely. They thus benefited from a college of international experts making the academic world of the region shine. A very weak position today.

Beijing's removal of some decried books from Hong Kong libraries and government order to remove books from schools that could violate national security law are harbingers of censorship that could affect Hong Kong scholars . "  From the moment when there are requests for research projects which are considered sensitive by the government and by Beijing, it will be necessary to see if these projects are accepted by the body which issues the research grants  ", warns Jean- Philippe Béja.

Fear of self-censorship by academics, who fear breaking the national security law, is spreading. Particularly in social and political sciences or the study of contemporary Chinese history, the areas most sensitive to the Chinese authorities.

Foot call

In this context of health and political uncertainties, Hong Kong universities, several of which appear in the prestigious Shanghai ranking, are making more and more calls to students. The University of Hong Kong, for example, has launched two new programs which began in August 2020. It thus seeks to retain students whose departure abroad is complicated, or conversely to attract new foreign students who may have become reluctant. at the idea of ​​moving to Hong Kong. In general, the start of the school year will take place online this year, Covid-19 requires.

If Hong Kong academic freedom is now threatened, its end is far from being announced. “  Some of the teachers in Hong Kong are determined to speak freely,  ” recalls Jean-Philippe Béja. This is evidenced by the strong mobilization - via demonstrations, strong words or petitions - of the teaching staff following the dismissals of pro-democracy academics.

As early as 2012, Hong Kong people were demonstrating for the protection of their academic freedom and against the introduction of “moral and national education” courses based on a manual called The Chinese Model. Even if Beijing's weight is increasingly heavy on the semi-autonomous region, the pro-democracy movement should therefore not give up its struggle anytime soon. The attachment to Hong Kong freedoms has been built on solid foundations .

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

• Hong Kong
• China
• Education
• our selection

On the same subject

Hong Kong protests in 2019: two opposition elected officials arrested

Hong Kong: pro-democracy press boss Jimmy Lai released on bail

Hongkongers to the rescue of Apple Daily, buy newspapers en masse