China directs Hong Kong schools to raise national flag, sing anthem to promote nationalism

Amid the rising imposition of draconian laws, the Chinese Communist government has imposed another set of laws on the schools of Hong Kong resulting in causing concern among the experts. According to a report by American international broadcaster Voice of America (VOA), China has directed public schools of Hong Kong to raise the Chinese flag and sing China's national anthem in an attempt to "inject nationalism" among teachers and students. As per the law passed by the Communist government, the new policy would "promote national education and help students develop a sense of belonging to the country, and affection for the Chinese people and enhance their sense of national identity."

Further, the law directed public schools including kindergartens, primary and secondary institutions in the city to display the national flag daily and conduct a flag-raising ceremony with the singing of the national anthem once every week from the next academic session, according to VOA. Earlier in June, this mandate was announced after the national anthem ordinance took effect.

The media outlet said that the policy criminalizes any act authorities consider "insulting" to the national anthem or the national flag. However, the experts and teachers familiar with these draconian laws called the move "dangerous" and "ineffective". "Some teachers and students don't like the new policy, so we stand, but we don't sing. Singing the national anthem is not important -- it's just a ritual. Do you think students grow more pro-China the more times they sing?" VOA quoted a teacher as saying against the Communist government's recent decision.

Experts call the move a 'tool of brainwashing' children

Professor of education at Murdoch University, Jan Currie wrote a book on Hong Kong's academic freedom. Currie has termed the move as a tool of brainwashing the children. "The policy ... is the start of trying to make them [students] Chinese citizens in a one-China nation. It is much like what happened in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of WWII, when the Soviets occupied those countries and began to form the youth into communist-believing children and young adults," Currie told VOA. "It is a form of soft indoctrination that begins with things like having the children identify with the flag and the national anthem, and then will encroach on the curriculum to introduce Marxism-Leninism-Maoism," she added. Meanwhile, some experts termed the move as the government's suppressive law to muzzle the voices of Opposition.   

Hong Kong library removed 29 Out Of 149 books about Tiananmen Massacre

It is worth mentioning this was not the first time when the Chinese government imposed such laws on the people of Hong Kong. Earlier, in 2020, Beijing passed a wide-ranging new security law for Hong Kong in order to tighten its grip over the region. According to this new law, it makes easier for the Chinese government to punish protesters and reduces the city's autonomy. Apart from passing such laws, a recent report revealed that the Chinese government is trying to fade out its brutality from the books. Recently, a Hong Kong-based media said that the Xi Jinping-led government has been trying to weed out the memories of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre after it learnt that Hong Kong libraries removed at least 29 books based on them on the protests in the past 12 years.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP