In the face of the on-going violence against protesters and democracy defenders in Hong Kong, Education International (EI) and its members are mobilising to show support for those who defend the values of democracy, justice and liberties.
The violence in Hong Kong continues to escalate. Police forces are using indiscriminate brutality and torture against youth and protesters whoare steadfast in their demands for the genuine enforcement of the one-country-two-systems principle and universal suffrage. Nearly four thousand people have been arrested or injured.
This is an intolerable breach of human rights. EI and its members organisations, representing over 32 million educators from across the work, are gearing up to demand the authorities of Hong Kong to respect the rights and freedoms of citizens as guaranteed by international standards, to engage in a genuine dialogue with civil society and to investigate the use of violence against students and peaceful protestors.
The situation in Hong Kong was prioritised in July 2019 by the EI World Congress, with representatives of millions of educators adopting an urgent resolution expressing solidarity with the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union and the people of Hong Kong. Meeting in Brussels next week, the EI Executive Board will analyse the situation further and decide on the best avenues to lend support to the democracy defenders of Hong Kong.