Principal Nicholas Puiu leads students and teachers at HKMA David Li Kwok Po college to pay tribute to one of their schoolmates, Jessie Leung, who was killed last month in the Manila tour bus hijacking, on Wednesday, the first day of school. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Victim's mom doesn't want people to grieve anymore, but to get on with life

Students at two schools, formerly attended by victims of the Manila Hostage massacre, observed a moment of silence on their first day of classes Wednesday.

The academic year began with a moment of silence at the Tsz Wan Shan Catholic Primary School where 58-year-old victim Ken Leung had once been a student. At HKMA David Li Kwok Po College, students paused in remembrance of Leung's 14-year-old daughter Jessie, who was to have started Form Three Wednesday. She also died at the hands of the rogue ex-cop in Manila August 23. Leung's 18-year-old son Jason remains in a medically-induced coma recovering from a serious head injury. He was a graduate of the school attended by his younger sister.

Jason Leung and his mother were the only two survivors of the family of five. Jason lost his elder sister in the stand-off. Jason was reported in stable condition a week after doctors removed part of his skull to relieve swelling brought on by a blow from a heavy object.

He is still battling a series of infections but his fever has broken after returning on a medical transport from Manila last Thursday.

"He is in a stable state but as you know that he had a very serious injury and it is very difficult to predict the outcome at this moment. But whatever happens he is going to face a very long and strenuous rehabilitation period," Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said, pledging to help during the recovery period.

Tuen Mun Hospital head neurologist Dawson Fong said he was recovering slowly and that doctors discovered four pieces of his bone fragments four centimeters into his brain tissue.

They have not removed them because they do not want to risk nerve damage, Fong said, but added there is no sign of any major infections.

Reading out a statement, he thanked the public at large on behalf of Jason's mother Amy Leung, adding she didn't want people to grieve anymore but to get on with their lives.

Form Five student Tracey Wong and her brother Form One student Jason Wong, who were orphaned in the standoff, were not seen on the first day of classes at Tsuen Wan Secondary School.

A tour bus carrying 22 Hong Kong residents was hijacked August 23 by disgraced ex-cop Rolando Mendoza, 55, in Manila. Demanding to be reinstated to the police force, he murdered eight victims before he was killed by police.

China Daily

(HK Edition 09/02/2010 page1)