HK authorities slam cyberbullies against students playing flutes in music video

Hong Kong authorities have slammed the negative comments against the latest National Day themed music video, of which some students are seen playing flutes with masks.This comes as Education Bureau invited over 400 primary and secondary school students to participate in the music video of "少年中國說" with National Day approaching on 1 October.

However, the video has drawn heated discussions as some netizens questioned on local forums such as LIHKG why some students featured in the video play flutes with specially made masks, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw. Social monitoring firm Tocanan saw a total of 1370 mentions of the incident over the past few days, with 38% negative sentiments and 9% positive sentiments. 

According to the press statement, the Education Bureau said it regrets to see that some people have made inappropriate remarks online, neglecting the need for students to wear professional performance masks to protect themselves during the epidemic.  Filmed in late August 2022, all students involved in the music video must wear masks to protect their health and safety, said the bureau. “The masks worn by students playing the flute are dedicated to wind instruments, and are also used in other countries,” it added.

“The nuisance and offensive words to bully enthusiastic students have gone beyond the moral bottom line of society. The choice of words and the intention behind their speech have absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech. This kind of cyberbullying against young students is really disgusting, and the bureau strongly condemns it,” the statement added.

The bureau reiterates that cyberbullying in any form will never be allowed to damage students’ minds and bodies, and hopes that relevant parties will understand the seriousness of cyberbullying and stop related behaviors immediately. The Education Bureau reserves the right to investigate.The statement also said that disregarding the feelings of others, committing offensive behaviour online, damaging the reputation of young students, or even suffering psychological pressure and negative emotions, must not be encouraged.

The bureau hopes that all sectors of the community will stand up to protect young students and condemn such cyberbullying to avoid further harassment of students. The bureau will continue to use different channels to encourage young people to hold positive values and attitudes, cultivate family and national feelings and national identity, and continue to improve themselves.

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