By Jessie Pang, Sara Cheng

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Last month, several thousand Hong Kong university students, some of them under the watch of a CCTV camera, were the first to take compulsory courses on the territory’s national security law.

Some of these courses are only available to Reuters. One example shows how a conversation in a chat room could be interpreted by law enforcement as a grave breach and can lead to life imprisonment.

According to students, there was at least one CCTV camera in Hong Kong Baptist University’s lecture hall. A photographer, however, took photographs.

Critics said that the courses are an attack upon academic freedom in Hong Kong’s Western-style university education system.

Katrin Kinzelbach (a German political scientist who studies academic freedom in universities all over the globe) stated that “in principle, making specific classes compulsory is a serious infringement of academic liberty.” Academic freedom allows you to study or teach whatever you choose. You also have the right to choose not to take part in certain classes.

Beijing imposed Hong Kong’s National Security Law last year. It stipulates that schools and universities must teach national security. Hong Kong’s Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said earlier this year that it was a “requirement” for higher education institutions to incorporate national security education into their curriculum, according to a government statement.

Beijing can be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison for any act of secession, terrorist or collusion with foreign troops.

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the purpose of the courses or their contents.

Baptist University, an openly funded college of liberal arts with Christian heritage, didn’t immediately respond to my request for comment about its course or the reason why it had a CCTV camera installed in the lecture hall.

This is just the latest step by the pro Beijing government to tighten down on universities. According to police, almost 4,000 people were arrested as a result of the protests.

Six liberal academics were forced out of university last year by the introduction national security laws, according to Reuters. Students unions and leaders on campus have been expelled or removed. According to Yeung, education secretary, universities will have to fly the Chinese national flag every day starting next year.

Critics claim that the crackdown was part of an overall effort to suppress the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. Over the past 16 month, more than 150 people including some opposition politicians were arrested on charges of endangering national safety. Meanwhile, schools, churches and libraries as well as booksellers and filmmakers have come under greater scrutiny.

‘MS NAUGHTY’ AND ‘MR BREACH’

With a population exceeding 7.5 million, the global financial centre has four universities ranked in the top 100 by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This was largely due to British colonial rule. The city was handed over to China in 1997.

Schools and universities in Hong Kong are being required to incorporate patriotic and national security themes into their curriculum, which will bring them closer to education in mainland China.

The graduation requirements for four of Hong Kong’s eight public universities — Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University(PolyU), Lingnan University and Education University of Hong Kong– are national security talks, seminars and lectures. Hong Kong Metropolitan University (Self-Funded) told Reuters that it will soon offer such a course, but refused to give a date.

The courses outline the national security law’s 66 articles, detailing how they might be breached, while stressing the need for greater patriotism and national Chinese identity, according to course materials from two Hong Kong universities seen by Reuters and interviews with five students.

These courses cover the history and culture of Hong Kong, China and the historical subjugation and subsequent removal of China from the control of foreign powers. They also mention the existence of security laws in democratic large countries like the United States or Britain.

Baptist University hosted a seminar that was two hours long by Alex Fan, a pro-Beijing lawyer who used to work at Hong Kong’s Department of Justice. According to Reuters’ 200-page PowerPoint presentation, he spoke out about the broad power of security law, and how severe punishments can be for those who break it.

Following the presentation, Reuters saw a mandatory 20-question multiple choice test. Students had to spot security violations using characters such as Mr Breach and Ms Naughty. Reuters was told by several students that they did not pass the test.

One of the questions in the test was about “Ms. Naughty”, who asks Telegram group members to prevent commuter trains from getting to their destination. This is to force the government into implementing universal suffrage. Pro-democracy protesters used this tactic in 2019 to attain one of five crucial demands. Beijing fiercely opposes it. Incitement to secede, subversion and collusion were all options. All of these offenses are subject to the nation security law and can result in life imprisonment.

A 109-page PowerPoint presentation by PolyU for their national security course was seen by Reuters. It is the scene of deadly clashes among students and officers in 2019.

The presentation begins with the question: “Is it a crime to criticize the government under the national security laws?” Answer: It depends. Criticizing any one of four crimes that are major under the national security laws (secession and subversion as well as collusion or external forces) may be considered a crime.

In response to Reuters’ questions about the course, a representative for PolyU said the university “places a strong emphasis on whole-person development and value education” and that the course was necessary to help students “develop a clear understanding of issues relating to national security in the city.”

STUDENT REACTION

The reactions of students to the Baptist University course were varied, from approval to fear.

One 19-year old student from Hong Kong, Mandy, said that she was afraid her university assignments could lead to trouble. “I am afraid that I will be charged by the government with crime which I did not commit due to my coursework.

Another student in Hong Kong identified himself as Michael and stated that the course was an attempt to “mind-restructuring.”

Lulu, a third student said, “If you are determined to do something,” It’s pointless. After a two-hour lecture, I will not be patriotic.”

Leo, an 18 year-old Chinese student, welcomed the course. Leo stated that students from Hong Kong had been influenced by Western countries and that they did not have a sense of security.

He told Reuters that students from mainland countries have had a deep involvement in this education ever since they were children. “We have a deep sense of belonging to our country that we are not able to find in Hong Kong.