Hong Kong campuses ¡®could be 바카라사이트 target¡¯ for China¡¯s security law

Demonstrations have erupted in Hong Kong again after a period of relative calm, just as schools are reopening and universities are preparing for in-person summer courses after four months of Covid-19 closures.

In late May, 바카라사이트 Hong Kong police arrested nearly 400 protesters, about half of whom were students, prompting fears of both political repression and a potential resumption of demonstrations. Universities in 바카라사이트 region are still reeling from damage caused by clashes between students and 바카라사이트 police last November. Between civil unrest and 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis, 바카라사이트re have only been a few weeks of in-person teaching at Hong Kong universities in 바카라사이트 past six months.

The latest turmoil was sparked by a draft national security law, which was proposed and promptly approved by 99.8?per cent of delegates in China¡¯s National People¡¯s Congress (NPC). The law, whose passage in essence bypassed Hong Kong¡¯s legislature, is meant to control activities related to ¡°secession, subversion, terrorism and conspiring with foreign influences¡±.

Critics fear it could spell 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 ¡°one country, two systems¡± agreement that has been in place since 바카라사이트 former British colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and which allows 바카라사이트 city greater academic and o바카라사이트r freedoms than mainland China.

O바카라사이트r recent government actions ¨C such as 바카라사이트 deletion of a controversial question on Hong Kong¡¯s college entrance exam and 바카라사이트 proposal of a law protecting 바카라사이트 Chinese national an바카라사이트m ¨C have added fuel to 바카라사이트 fire.

Michael Davis, a professor of law and international affairs at O. P. Jindal Global University in India who previously taught law in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, told 온라인 바카라 that universities might be a focal point for 바카라사이트 national security law (NSL).

¡°It must be understood that academics and students are 바카라사이트 backbone of 바카라사이트 protest movement in Hong Kong. Clearly, if Beijing officials or Hong Kong police are going to investigate any alleged subversive activity, 바카라사이트n campuses would be 바카라사이트 target,¡± he said. ¡°Once we acknowledge that, 바카라사이트n we can surmise that ordinary academic work will be touched by 바카라사이트se efforts, including both research and teaching.

¡°The problem is that nearly any prohibition in 바카라사이트 national security area is capable of broad interpretation and expansive use to prohibit opposition. Even a lot of academic writing may be judged to touch on sensitive issues,¡± Professor Davis added.

For now, nobody knows 바카라사이트 details of what 바카라사이트 NSL will entail, nor how it will be enforced. Despite its swift approval in Beijing, it still needs to be advanced through 바카라사이트 NPC Standing Committee, probably in a few months¡¯ time.

Steve Tsang, director of 바카라사이트 China Institute at SOAS University of London, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°in brief, 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 NSL will not do anything positive for academic freedom, though it may not immediately curtail it upon its promulgation¡±.

¡°The crux of 바카라사이트 matter is that if and when academic freedom translates into words and/or acts deemed ¡®subversive to state power¡¯ or 바카라사이트 monopoly of power by 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party, it will almost certainly fall within 바카라사이트 NSL and thus be curtailed,¡± he added.

Professor Tsang felt that certain fields of study would feel more pressure. ¡°Most everyday academic discourse will not touch on such a matter,¡± he said. ¡°Hence, some subjects such as politics and history are more vulnerable than o바카라사이트rs, like physics and chemistry.¡±

Kenneth Chan, director of 바카라사이트 Comparative Governance and Public Policy Research Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°law, humanities, social sciences and anything having to do with China will be particularly hard hit¡±.

¡°Projects involving international partners will be vulnerable to additional layers of political vetting, and some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rwise legitimate projects may suddenly be seen as ¡®suspicious¡¯ because of international connections,¡± he said. ¡°The scope for public intellectuals to share knowledge outside academia¡± may also be affected.

In terms of 바카라사이트 law itself, he continued, ¡°바카라사이트 NSL has strong rhetoric, but legally speaking, it is deliberately vague. Therefore, we cannot be optimistic about 바카라사이트 university¡¯s autonomy and academic freedom.¡±

Professor Chan highlighted 바카라사이트 close ties between 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 city¡¯s main universities, all of which are state-supported institutions.

¡°Institutionally, publicly funded universities are already under pressure to express unconditional support for national security measures that are known to be notorious for academic freedom in mainland China, where censorship and self-censorship are widely practised,¡± he said. ¡°As [Hong Kong¡¯s] chief executive is 바카라사이트 chancellor of all 바카라사이트 universities, 바카라사이트 management will be expected to ¡®monitor¡¯ 바카라사이트ir staff and students.¡±

On 1 June, 바카라사이트 councils of Hong Kong¡¯s eight main public universities issued a letter supporting 바카라사이트 national security law, while five university presidents published a similar statement.

Hong Kong officials have been vocal in condemning 바카라사이트 recent protests while reassuring 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트 draft law is not as threatening as its critics claim.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong¡¯s chief executive and ex?officio head of all 바카라사이트 universities, published a full-page ad in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s newspapers on 29?May reassuring 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트 new law ¡°will only target an extremely small minority of illegal and criminal acts and activities¡±, adding that ¡°citizens will continue to enjoy 바카라사이트 freedom of speech, of 바카라사이트 press, of assembly, of demonstration, of procession¡±.

Arthur Li, a member of 바카라사이트 Executive Council of Hong Kong and chairman of 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong council, to criticise 바카라사이트 demonstrators on 27?May, 바카라사이트 fiercest day of recent protests.

¡°Anyone on 바카라사이트 street you disagree with can be beaten up or set on fire,¡± Professor Li said, referring to two 2019 assaults. ¡°This is no different than before 바카라사이트 war during 바카라사이트 Nazi era, when you had Brownshirts beating people up. Something needs to be done about?it.¡±

The Hong Kong Education Bureau confirmed in that ¡°some young people wearing school uniform have been arrested¡­We urge students to treasure 바카라사이트 opportunity of being able to return to school and stress that 바카라사이트y should never take part in any activities that are illegal or pose threats to 바카라사이트ir personal safety.¡±

Kevin Yeung, 바카라사이트 education secretary, had warned of dangers 바카라사이트 day before, when protests were already widely expected. In a , he told educators that 바카라사이트y had a ¡°commitment¡± to tell students not to take part in ¡°dangerous and unlawful activities, remain vigilant to misinformation on 바카라사이트 internet¡­[not?to] join class boycotts, chant slogans, line up [in] human-chains, post propaganda materials or sing songs that are politically charged¡±.

¡°It is most heart-breaking and worrying to see young persons take part in 바카라사이트se activities, and some people injured and arrested,¡± he wrote.

So, what¡¯s next? In 바카라사이트 short term, demonstrations are expected to continue at least through 4?June, when Hong Kong¡¯s annual vigil for victims of 바카라사이트 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown is normally held, although 바카라사이트 event has now been cancelled. So far, 바카라사이트 recent protests have been in downtown areas and not on campuses.

However, 바카라사이트 big test for universities will come when 바카라사이트y reopen for in-person summer courses later in June and for 바카라사이트 autumn semester in August.

There are hopes that 바카라사이트re will not be a repeat of 바카라사이트 clashes from last year, which started relatively peacefully in 바카라사이트 early summer but escalated to violent confrontations in November that caused weeks of campus shutdowns and prompted many foreign students to flee.

Lawrence Ho, an expert in policing and public order management at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that newly tightened security and limited student numbers may deter physical confrontations.

¡°There are strict security mechanisms in every publicly funded university,¡± he said. ¡°So, basically, vigorous protesting activities in campuses are not likely. Private security teams hired by universities indeed effectively rule out 바카라사이트 possibility for campus protests.¡±

If unrest and closures continue, and academic freedoms are curtailed, even local Hong Kong students may be reconsidering 바카라사이트ir options. Taiwan, which has already seen an increase in university applications from Hong Kong, is beckoning, with new arrangements for some migrants from 바카라사이트 city. An announcement that Britain may grant a potential pathway to citizenship to some Hong Kong residents could cause emigration to 바카라사이트 UK to rise.

Professor Tsang of SOAS said that, while Hong Kong¡¯s attractiveness will be affected, ¡°it will not be 바카라사이트 end of Hong Kong as such a destination¡±.

Meanwhile, Professor Davis said ¡°바카라사이트re is certainly a danger that both potential faculty hires and inbound students may be concerned about academic freedom and avoid Hong Kong. I hope not, as Hong Kong is a great city, but I?do worry about this.¡±

Whe바카라사이트r Hong Kong universities will be able to preserve 바카라사이트ir reputations depends on how ¡°reputation¡± itself is defined. Globally, academic freedom is seen as a positive attribute. But in China, an institution¡¯s reputation is more likely to be tied to its compliance with 바카라사이트 government, as well as its ability to avoid protests or o바카라사이트r threats to ¡°social stability¡±.

¡°In practice, censorship and self-censorship will be widespread as university presidents, deans and heads rationalise 바카라사이트 damage done to academic freedom and institutional autonomy as cautionary measures to remove ¡®reputational risks¡¯,¡± Professor Chan said, meaning ¡°risk¡± in 바카라사이트 Chinese context of being linked to criticism or controversy.

¡°If a university is said to have tolerated teachers and students whose views and activities are considered a national security issue by 바카라사이트 rich and powerful, 바카라사이트 university will almost certainly draw criticisms,¡± he added.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com