Hong Kong Federation of Students
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Hong Kong Federation of Students (Traditional Chinese: 香港專上學生聯會) is the biggest student organization in Hong Kong. It is formed by the students' union of 7 tertiary education institutions. It has 51,779 members as of March 2006. Its purpose is to push students' movements and increase the participation in society of the students. It is currently head by Chan Kai Yip, who is the standing committee Chairman and Yeung Ka Kui, who is the Chairman of the Council (代表會主席). The Council (代表會) is formed by the representatives from the student unions of the universities. The representatives are elected by universities' students. The standing committee is appointed by the Council.
Although the chairman of standing committee (also known as chairman of HKFS) is legally the head of the federation, the real power often goes to the Council.
[edit] Members
The Hong Kong Federation of Students is formed by the student unions of 7 institutions:
- The Hong Kong University Students' Union
- Chinese University Student Union
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University Student Union
- City University Student Union
- Hong Kong Baptist University Student Union
- Lingnan University Student Union
- Hong Kong Shue Yan College Student Union
[edit] History
The federation was found in May, 1958. The purpose at the moment was to represent the students. There was 4 universities' student unions-members at the moment. There was 7 students in the first term of the committee.
In February, 1971, as the western countries and Japan tried to take away Diaoyu Islands from China, some Hong Kong students established an association called Hong Kong Protecting Diaoyu Islands Committee (香港保衛釣魚台行動委員會) on February 14. The committee held demontrations in front of the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong, 21 people was arrested, 7 of them was universities' students. On April 17, Hong Kong University Student Union held a peace demonstration, about 1000 students took part in this action.
On July 7, the federation held great demonstration, as the federation was still an illegal organization in that time, some students was arrested by the Hong Kong Police. On May 13, 1975, the federation held the "May 13 protest", and it was the last action of those movements.
During 1975 to 1976, the standing committee of the federation was supporting the Cultural Revolution, this angered some students, a student leader, Mak Chung Man, lead students to protest against the Communists, he was then criticized by the federation, the chairman said that he was "against all Chinese". This pronouncement made great resentment to the students, how to handle different opinions became the main topic in the 1976 HKFS election.
In April, 1977, Hong Kong University Student Union suggested to cancel the anti-right wing purpose of the federation but the standing committee refused to vote, all Hong Kong University Student Union representatives announced to withdraw from the conference as a complaint.
In April, 1979, the federation held a memorial party of May Fourth Movement, however nearly no students took part in this activity, it showed that the students was angried of the confused policies of the federation.
During the 1980s, the federation started to support the democratic movements in Taiwan and mainland China.
In 1981 the Hong Kong Standard revealed that the HKFS had been on a 'Red List' in a classified Standing Committee on Pressure Groups (SCOPG) report. The report described the group as "pro-communist".
The federation prosecuted Shue Yan College in March, 1983 of its serious corruption to ICAC, however it was unsuccessful.
After 1984, the federation fully changed its purpose from supporting communism to supporting the democratic development. The students asked for fully democracy in Hong Kong.
In February, 1989, about 4000 students stop attending classes to protest against the policy of the education department of the Hong Kong Government.
During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the federation took part in the demonstrations and the strike in China. On May 20, under the tropical cyclone signal number 8, there was still thousands of students took part in a great demonstration. After the massacre, all universities' students stop attending classes. Since then, there are memorial activities every year. In 1991, there was protests to support Wang Dan, however the police said it was a illegal protest and gave warnings to the committees, this angered the students.
Since 1990s, the union started to concern about daily events in Hong Kong, no longer just in the areas of education and political.
In 2003, 2004 and 2005, the federation took great part in the July 1 marches. In the one in 2004, students became most important part in the protest.
