University pro-independence banner debate ‘too emotional’, academic says

A Shanghai-born lecturer at Chinese University has urged Hong Kong students and residents to consider their mainland counterparts’ feelings during political campaigns, as isolating them could mean losing a large group of pro-democracy supporters.

Such posters were posted at Chinese University’s student notice board, and triggered a heated debate between a group of mainland students who want to remove those posters, and local students who tried to stop them or verbally abused them.

On September 7, Li said on Facebook that she debated with several mainland students who posted their own posters on the board to protest against the “undemocratic” posting of pro-independence posters. The Facebook page attracted more than 7,000 “likes” and was shared more than 2,700 times.

Speaking at a public forum in front of the “democracy wall” notice board, Li said both local and mainland students were too emotional in the recent controversy.

Clarify whether independence banners are criminal offence, Hong Kong justice chief urged

“A mainland student told me she was not very angry about the pro-independence posters, but she was just hurt because she was never taught about individual value, her existence and well-being relied on the country ... so she felt attacked when people attack China,” Li said.

“If we label people based on their birthplace, and refuse to talk to them ... we would lose a group of potential supporters.”