29/01/2020
【「飛來蝗禍 堅拒賣命 封關救港 事在必行」── 大專學界就聲援醫護界罷工及要求港共政府立即全面封關之聯合聲明 | Joint Statement from the Students’ Unions of Higher Institutions - Supporting the Strike of the Medical Field and Demanding the Government for Immediate Closure of Borders for Travellers from China】
(Please scroll down for English version.)
武漢肺炎疫情蔓延全球，至今已造成六千人感染，過百人死亡，香港確診個案亦已增至八宗。疫情持續擴散，零三沙士之慘劇很可能重演，全港七百萬人民的生命安全危在旦夕。當前線醫護人員抽「生死籤」進入隔離病房工作之際，港共政府卻一直拒絕全面封關，任由肺炎患者蜂擁而至。大專學界強烈讉責港共政府一意孤行，置港人及前線醫護人員之生死於不顧，並要求港共政府立即全面封關，禁止任何旅客經由中國入境。
昨日（一月二十八日）林鄭月娥舉行記者會，宣布暫停發出個人遊（自由行）簽注，並於周四開始暫停西九龍高鐵站、紅磡站、沙頭角站等口岸運作。然而，以上措施無法阻止早已得到個人遊簽注之人士入境，而以商務、探親及其他原因來港之人士更可自由出入境，不受任何限制。同時，羅湖、落馬洲、港珠澳大橋等流量最高的主要口岸依舊開放，所謂局部封關只是杯水車薪，根本無效全面堵截病毒源頭。
港共政府始終拒絕全面封關，在於其一直以政治考慮凌駕市民安危。出入境管制屬香港內部事務，香港絕對有權自行決定全面封關，以杜絕任何病毒經由中國進入香港。惟港共政府漠視人民訴求，只為向中共獻媚，如林鄭竟表示得到中央同意後方才局部封關。實施任何防疫措施前要先得中央首肯，在未感謝前線醫護前先感謝中央，實在可悲至極。正如中大醫學院早前之聲明所言，「市民大眾的健康及安全不容妥協，防疫工作一定是『宜早不宜遲、宜緊不宜寬』。」面對如此嚴峻疫情，現時封關為時已晚，但大專學界仍然嚴正要求港共政府直接回應醫護人員、各醫學專家及社會各界之訴求，立即全面封關，勿再拖延半刻。
為迫使政府推行更有效之防疫政策，遏止病毒湧港，「醫管局員工陣線」及其他前線醫護人員向醫管局提出以下五大訴求：
一、禁止任何旅客經由中國入境
二、呼籲全港市民戴口罩
三、提供足夠隔離病房，暫停非緊急服務
四、嚴肅跟進病人逃走事件，確保工作環境安全
五、提供足夠配套予照顧隔離病人的醫護
若港共政府不回應以上訴求，「醫管局員工陣線」將發起包括罷工等一系列工業行動。大專學界亦全力支持醫護界罷工及所有相關抗爭行動，並尊重每一位前線醫護人員之決定。在此，大專學界衷心感謝所有前線醫護人員為抗疫之戰挺身而出，在不同崗位上守護港人。暴政無能，民間必須自救，我等呼籲每一位香港人與醫護站在同一陣線，並肩捍衛我城。但願十七年前之悲痛歷史不會在這片土地重演。天佑醫護，天佑香港。
香港中文大學學生會
香港大學學生會
嶺南大學學生會
香港城市大學學生會
香港珠海學院學生會臨時行政委員會
香港浸會大學學生會
香港教育大學學生會臨時行政委員會
香港樹仁大學學生會
香港科技大學學生會
香港理工大學學生會
二零二零年一月二十九日
The Wuhan Pneumonia Outbreak is now a pandemic issue with over 6000 people infected and over 100 casualties, with Hong Kong accounting for 8 confirmed cases. As the outbreak progresses, the 2003 SARS tragedy is prone to recur, jeopardizing the lives of 7 million Hongkongers. While frontline medical personnel are drawing ‘death lots’ to be on duty in isolation wards, the Government refuses to close the borders for travellers from China, leaving Hong Kong’s door wide open for the virus to cross the borders. The Students’ Unions of Higher Institutions strongly condemn the Government for its ignorance, and its negligence in ensuring the safety of all frontline medical personnel and Hongkongers. We demand an immediate closure of borders at all checkpoints and refusal of any travellers from China.
Yesterday (28 January), Carrie Lam hosted a press conference announcing the suspension of the Individual Visit Scheme, and the suspension of checkpoints at West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station, Hung Hom Station, Sha Tau Kok, etc. Nevertheless, it is grossly ineffective in controlling people who already holds an earlier permit. People claiming they are entering for business and family reasons are free to enter without restrictions. Furthermore, the gates with the highest number of travellers from China, for example, the Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge checkpoints are still wide open without restrictions. The partial closure is virtually useless in preventing the virus from entering Hong Kong at all.
The Government’s refusal to close the borders shows that political considerations are prioritised over Hongkongers’ health. Immigration control is Hong Kong’s internal affairs and Hong Kong has the full right to control its own borders to combat the outbreak of viruses. The Government ignored the desperate cries of the people, and fettered its right by requesting the Chinese Government’s “permission” before initiating the partial closure. The Central Government was thanked over and over for it’s “graceful” permission while the hardworking frontline medical staff were brushed off. The Faculty of Medicine of CUHK stated earlier, “The health and safety of the public is non-negotiable, epidemic prevention measures are always the earlier the better, the stricter the better.” In light of the imminent threat, it is too late to close the borders now. Better late than never, the Students’ Unions of Higher Institutions urge the Government to respond to the demands of frontline medical personnel, medical experts and society, including but not limited to an immediate and complete border closure.
In order to force the Government to take more effective epidemic prevention measures, the HA Employees Alliance and other frontline medical personnel spelt 5 demands for the Hospital Authority, to:
(1) Refuse all travellers entering from China
(2) Call for all Hong Kong citizens to wear surgical masks
(3) Provide sufficient isolation wards, and temporarily suspend all non-emergency services
(4) Follow-up on escaped patients to ensure a safe working environment
(5) Provide sufficient support for medical personnel assigned to take care of patients in the isolation wards
If the Government refuses to answer to the demands, the HA Employees Alliance will initiate industrial actions including strikes. The Students’ Unions of Higher Institutions support the strike and other actions, and fully respect all decisions made by frontline medical personnel. We thank all medical personnel for their selfless contribution in this battle, protecting Hongkongers from whatever post they may be. We call for Hongkongers to align with medical personnel and fight with them side by side. We hope that the tragedy 17 years ago will not happen again. Stand with our medical personnel, stand with Hong Kong.
The Student Union of The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong University Students’ Union
Lingnan University Students’ Union
City University of Hong Kong Students’ Union
Student Union of Chu Hai of Higher Education Acting Executive Committee
Hong Kong Baptist University Students’ Union
The Provisional Executive Council of The Education University of Hong Kong Students’ Union
The Student Union of Hong Kong Shue Yan University
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students’ Union
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students’ Union
29 January 2020
