The largest teachers’ union has outlined a timeline and tactics for the proposed “Occupy Central” movement.
Insisting these are “just teaching materials” for liberal studies, the Professional Teachers’ Union unveiled a timeline and steps to set up the movement. The union, which is not part of the movement, said it is up to teachers to decide whether or not to use them.
“Since there has been widespread discussion on universal suffrage [for the 2017 chief executive election] and the Occupy Central movement for universal suffrage, we have created the teaching materials for school teachers to use in the liberal studies subject if necessary,” education research director Cheung Yui-fai said.
The material states that the move to block roads in Central to fight for universal suffrage, proposed by University of Hong Kong associate law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, will stick to the principle of non-violence. It also states that until the end of next month, Tai and Chu Yiu-ming, a Baptist minister in Chai Wan, will introduce the movement to community groups, followed by setting up a coordination task force to plan the movement in detail and inviting people to sign up until July. About 10,000 people will be mobilized.
After constitutional reform proposals – based on international standards of universal suffrage – are mapped out for the 2017 election, citizens will be asked to show their support through an online platform via the HKU Public Opinion Programme.
The Democratic Party’s Albert Ho Chun-yan will quit his legislative “super seat” to trigger a referendum on political reform and the occupation movement will be launched if Beijing does not accept their proposed constitutional reform.
Chu said they will officially announce the launch of the Occupy Central movement and establish a website to promote the movement today.