The student unions of the 13 higher education institutions in Hong Kong yesterday issued a joint statement, arousing wide concern in society.
The voice uttered and opinion expressed jointly by the student organisations of the 13 higher education institutions in Hong Kong on a certain event should have been valued. But this so-called "statement by university students" turns out to be utterly fallacious and to openly lend support to the advocate for "independence for Hong Kong" and cold-blooded words of "congratulations" seen on school campuses. Its ignorance of facts and legal grounds and its arrogant attitude are even more scornful and disgusting.
In regard to what has been happening on university campuses recently, as the student unions of Hong Kong's 13 higher education institutions, they could have, on proper occasions and using unbiased language, expressed their opinions on such issues as school autonomy and freedom of speech. But more importantly, what they should have done is to modestly listen to opinions from various social sectors and make serious self-reflection and "if the cap fits, wear it", so as to show their law-biding awareness and moral and cultural cultivation. Yet one cannot but feel greatly shocked upon skimming through that "statement". How could it be possibly like an article written by university students? It reads more like an abusive "commentary" on the Apple Daily.
The argument in the "statement" runs amok, uttering insulting and venomous remarks. Right at the beginning, it calls Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor a "puppet fawning on the Communist Party", asserting her remarks days ago that "freedom of speech is not without restriction" and "academic freedom and university autonomy is no excuse for advocating fallacies" are meant to "clamp down on students' 'freedom of expression' " and to "launch literary inquisition", so much so that it wants to express its "strongest condemnation", etc.
CE Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is the Chief Executive of the SAR elected by Hong Kong people in accordance with the law and appointed by the Central Government, who represents the seven million citizens. Young students receiving higher education must at least treat her with due courtesy, even if they decline to treat her with due respect. But under the pen of the 13 student unions, there come out the most venomous, most disgusting words such as a "puppet fawning on the Communist Party". We may ask the responsible figures with the students unions who have penned these words: Do you still have the slightest sense of shame and conscience? Your parents have worked hard to support your studies for years and what you have learned is such most vulgar and obscene abuses, so how can you still have the nerve to pose as university students? "Golden hairs" on Mong Kok streets having no chance for higher education are even more cultivated with integrity than you.
As a saying has it that "fish rots from the head down", given such inferior personality of the responsible figures of the students unions, there is no wonder for such cold-blooded posters to "congratulate" on Choi Yuk-lin for the loss of her son to appear on campuses, no wonder university students were seen participating in the law-breaking "Occupy Central", in the assault on the Legislative Council building and in the Monk Kok Riot, and no wonder why radical nation-splitting fallacies such as "localism" and "independence for Hong Kong" should start on university campuses. It seems relevant responsible figures of the student unions absolutely cannot absolve themselves from the blame for the chaotic situation on the campuses of Hong Kong's higher education institutions these days.
Besides its bad attitude, the "statement" is also full of absurd fallacies, such as asserting that "the government and Chinese University authorities must not ban students from discussing ‘independence for Hong Kong' in the name of violating the Basic Law", and "It is understandable and forgivable for young people to eventually resort to giving vent to their feelings in an improper way, given that there is no channel for them to vent their dissatisfactions with the Education Bureau and Choi Yuk-lin". These can be said all nonsensical fallacies.
Relevant university authorities are duty-bound to launch a thorough investigation into and deal with the absurd content of the joint "statement" by the student unions of the 13 higher education institutions, so as to cleanse the atmosphere on campus and punish the evil doers.
12 September 2017
