3. The Sit-in on May 10
On the second day, repeated phone calls were made to
contact the Bishop but all in vain, Several hundred students came
back to the Cathedral to join the teachers and parents, Those who
stayed in school also staged a sit-in. Letters from the principal
requesting an explanation for the absence from school were delivered
to the 16 teachers, They were required to give a reply before
5.00 p.m. the next day (May 11). The teachers replied the letter
before the appointed time. No answer from the Bishop arrived the
next day. Teachers and parents therefore continued to sleep outside
the Cathedral for the second night.
4. The Sit-in on May 11
On the third day, May 11, a letter jointly signed by the
teachers, parents and students addressed to the Bishop was handed to
the office of the Caritas House, expressing again their sincere wish
to meet the Bishop or his representatives to discuss the problems in
the school. Some priests went to see the Bishop in the afternoon,
urging him to meet the teachers and offering themselves to be mis
representatives. The teachers were told at around 5 p.m. that a
meeting would be held between the Bishop's representatives and
representatives of the teachers, students and parents at 8.30 poin.
of the same evening. There were four Bishop's representatives,
namely, Father Gabriel Lam (the Vicar General), Father Tong Han,
Father Kwan Chun Tong and Mr. Cheung Ka Hing (the vice chairman of
the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission). They stated at the meeting
They
that their role was to listen and not to speak for the Bishop.
could not make any decisions. In this case, the representatives of
the teachers, students and parents made the following demands:
a) to allow the suspended students to resume classes immediately;
b) to rescind warning letters issued to both students and
teachers by the school principal;
c) to dismiss the principal.
The representatives requested a reply to the first demand
be made as soon as possible so that the suspended students could go
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