Hong Kong officials have singled out at least two schools for singing the Chinese national anthem “too softly”.

Teachers at a third school have been asked to help students “cultivate habit and confidence” in singing it.

Hong Kong has redoubled the emphasis on “patriotic” education since 2020 when China cracked down on the city’s pro-democracy movement.

Officials said students’ voices at the Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church Primary School were “soft and weak” and “should be strengthened”. At Yan Chai Hospital Lim Por Yen Secondary School, teachers were told to “help students develop the habit of singing the national anthem loudly in unison”.

  • gmtom@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    For all her reputation of being the Iron Lady Thatcher really pussied out of standing up to china on this.

    Like could you imagine the difference if the UK had someone with some fucking backbone back then that didn’t sell Hong Kong to its Doom?

    • cordlesslamp@lemmy.today
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      6 months ago

      How is it Thatcher’s fault? I’m genuinely curious.

      I learned that Hong Kong is under British control because it’s a leasing contract that last 99 years (from 1898 to 1997). So when the time comes it’s nobody’s fault that Hong Kong went back to China. Because China at the time would never extent the contract or even except negotiations.

      • gmtom@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Hong Kong itself as well as the Kowloon peninsula were actual territories that belonged to the UK after they were ceded to them after the opium wars.

        It’s only the “new teritories” which were several smaller islands surrounding Hong Kong island that were part of the 99 year lease.

        Even if no effort was made to secure the new territories, we could have and should have defended Hong Kong and Kowloon as part of Britiain, as the people wanted to be either independent or remain British.

        Thatcher rolled over and sold their futures to appease China.