Another Student Commits Suicide in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hung Hom Campus) (photo by Baycrest)

Another student has committed suicide in Hong Kong. According to local reports, on March 13 a 21-year-old female student of Hong Kong Polytechnic University jumped from a window of her residence in Tseung Kwan O. Her dead body was found at around 1 p.m. The student left one suicide note for the media and others for family members and friends.

This is the fifth student suicide in Hong Kong this month. Over the past ten years, more than 110 students have committed suicide in the former British colony. 23 students have killed themselves since the start of the current academic year - the youngest of them was just 10 years old.

Only four days earlier, a third-year student of Hong Kong Faculty of Arts had killed himself. He left a suicide note in which he blamed himself for not performing well enough. The 20-year-old student, surnamed Su, was an only son and lived with his parents in Wong Tai Sin District. On March 9 he was supposed to meet a fellow student for lunch, but he did not go. His classmate called his mobile phone. The police picked up and informed him of what had happened.

According to Joyce Chow Yuen-fun, chairwoman of the suicide prevention centre, academic pressure, emotional problems and family issues are the main reasons why students commit suicide.

Last Thursday Hong Kong's Education Bureau held an an emergency meeting with schools, parents and psychologists. The government pledged to provide better psychological support for students in need.

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