Hong Kong’s government is crushing the city’s pro-democracy unions

ONCE CHINESE state media labelled the group a “poisonous tumour”, it was clear that its time was running out. Within hours of that slur, in late July, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union was disowned by the city’s education bureau. For ten days the union, which represents about 80% of the city’s teachers, sought a reprieve. It cut ties with pro-democracy groups and with Education International, a global umbrella group. It promised to dream up new ways for schools to promote Chinese culture. But in mid-August it said it would disband. The Communist Party had warned, through intermediaries, that its assets could be frozen and its leaders arrested if it did not, say local reports.