February 27, 2015
A growing number of Hong Kong students support independence for Hong Kong, amid sliding confidence in the "one country, two systems" formula under which Hong Kong is currently governed, an online poll by Undergrad, a student union magazine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), showed.
About 28 per cent of 569 students polled by Undergrad supported independence, up from 15 per cent in a similar poll early last year. Some 53 per cent of respondents favoured the "one country, two systems" formula as the best political structure for Hong Kong, down from 68 per cent in early 2014, according to the poll.
The poll showed the number of students who agreed to stick to the principle of non-violent and peaceful protests fell to half from 76 per cent last year, while the fraction of those who disagreed with non-violent rallies rose to 37 per cent from 21 per cent, suggesting future protests could be more aggressive.
The findings come a month after Hong Kong's embattled leader Leung Chun-ying singled out Undergrad for advocating self-determination of Hong Kong people, expressed concern that universities in Hong Kong could be incubating a separatist movement that could threaten Beijing's sovereignty, and warned against the rise of separatism in Hong Kong, after parts of the Central, the central business district of Hong Kong, were paralysed last year by more than two months of pro-democracy protests.