Hong Kong Education Secretary: ‘No One Should Play, Sing or Broadcast’ Political Songs

Students in Hong Kong schools are not allowed to “play, sing, or broadcast” the pro-democracy protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong on campuses, the city’s education secretary said on Wednesday, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported.

Responding to questions from Hong Kong lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen regarding students’ freedom of expression on Wednesday, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung said in a written reply that no activities involving “political propaganda” should be allowed in schools. It is the “general consensus” of the education sector, Yeung claimed, that students should not be “incited” to demonstrate their stance on “controversial or evolving political issues.”

“No one, including students, should play, sing, and broadcast songs which contain political messages or hold any activities to express their political stance,” the education secretary wrote.

Yeung referred to Glory to Hong Kong, considered the “anthem” of the city’s pro-democracy protest movement, which opposes Chinese encroachment on the semi-autonomous city. The secretary said the song contains “strong political messages” and was “closely linked to violence and illegal acts,” making it an inappropriate song for students to play, sing, or broadcast in schools, according to the report.

In June, a music teacher at Hong Kong’s Heung To Middle School accused the school’s administration of firing her after she allowed students to sing the protest song in class as part of a music exam.

Glory to Hong Kong contains the lyrics, “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” a phrase used as a protest slogan in pro-democracy demonstrations. Last Thursday, the Hong Kong government said that this protest slogan “has connotations of Hong Kong independence, secessionist, or subversive intent,” now banned under the city’s newly enacted “national security” law, which went into effect last week.

Imposed by the Chinese Communist Party in an effort to smother Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest movement, the new law punishes “secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.” People found guilty of these “acts against national security” now face strict punishments, including a maximum sentence of life in prison.