Protest anthem banned in Hong Kong schools

Authorities in Hong Kong decided to ban the unofficial anthem of the pro-democracy protest movement in schools on Wednesday, hours after the Communist Party of China (CCP) in Beijing established a new national security bureau.

The most recent security legislation imposed on Hong Kong will require the financial hub city to “promote national security education in schools and universities and through social organizations, the media, the internet,” according to Reuters

The removal of the anthem for the pro-democracy movement exemplifies how more freedoms are being withheld from the once-democratized former British colony, just days after the government removed books by pro-democracy authors from public library shelves.

Slogans used by pro-democracy protesters will also be banned after authorities rolled in new laws prohibiting such phrases, according to the report.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung said students should not engage in singing the anthem titled “Glory to Hong Kong,” adding that they should also refrain from participating in class boycotts, chanting slogans or singing songs promoting a political message.

Yeung said the song “originated from the social incidents since June last year, contains strong political messages and is closely related to the social and political incidents, violence and illegal incidents that have lasted for months.”

Hong Kong and Chinese government officials have said the new law is vital to fixing holes in national security defenses that were exposed by anti-China protests, arguing the financial hub failed to pass legislation by itself as required under its constitution called the Basic Law.

Dissenters and pro-democracy protesters called the recent national security legislation an infringement on judicial and freedom of speech rights.

Last month, China’s Hong Kong Liaison Office, Beijing’s top representative office in the city, blamed dissenters and protesters “with ulterior motives [for] shocking chaos” in Hong Kong education.