#University #LennonWall #WhiteTerror #NationalSecurityLaw
University Authoritites Censor Opinion Boards on Campus

Ever since the National Security Law came into force in HK on 30 June 2020, red lines were imposed everywhere. At universities, "Democracy Wall" and Lennon Wall, where people express their opinions, have been a symbol of free speech but were “sanitized” by the university authorities.

At University of Hong Kong, pro-indepedence wordings were removed. The students’ union cited the university management that any mention of “HK Independence” or “expelling Chinese Communists” would no longer be allowed on campus.

The HK University of Science and Technology even forbids blank post-it notes on notice boards. A Students' Union member lamented that not only on campus but in all Hong Kong there is no room to express oneself freely, "One might risk breaching the [national security] law even by not speaking.”

Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
https://t.co/j1OjR2cCsb

#FreedomofSpeech #FailedState

#PoliticalOppression
#HKU Student union: Appointment of Chinese Academics as University's Pro-vice-president is a “Black-box Operation”

Along with several pto-democracy lawmakers, President of the Hong Kong University Students' Union, Yip Zi-lam held a press conference on October 26, 2020.

Yip comdemned the appointment of the university’s pro-vice-presidents as a “black-box operation” which lacked transparency to the stakeholders.

Yip pointed out that both candidates were closely connected to China and the arrangement is detrimental to the University’s autonomy.

In fact, one of the candidates is reportedly a Chinese Communist Party member:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/26187

The Students' Union called for a petition. As at 8pm on October 26, 2,100 signatures were collected from the University’s staff members, students and alumni.

Source: Stand News #Oct26

#Collusion #University #Academia

#Censorship #University #Academia
Now TV News Segment Removed Because News Chief “Personally Thinks it was Inappropriate”

A Now TV news segment was ordered to be removed by News Chief Bill Chan, claiming that he “personally thinks it was inappropriate”. The now-removed clip showed Ip Kin-yuen, a legislative councilor of the education sector expressing concerns about Max Shen, allegedly a Communist Party member, being nominated to be the vice-chancellor at the University of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) issued a statement saying that the removal of news segments is rare, and it is concerning whether the NowTV is self-censoring since the news report touched upon the topic of Max Shen’s status as a Communist Party member.

HKJA urged NowTV Chan to further explain and clarify his measures on handling this news segment in order to allay any public concern.

Source: Stand News #Oct26

===
Also see

New #HKU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Candidate is Reportedly a Chinese Communist Party Member, Lawmaker Challenges Hiring of Mainland Chinese Scholars a Practice of Cronyism
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/26187

#WhiteTerror #University
CityU bans any modifications of its anthem and emblem; Students' violations will stay on record till 7 years after graduation

The City University of Hong Kong (#CityU) has added a new clause banning any acts that may "tarnish the image and reputation of the university", including the unauthorized use, modification, damage and/or parody of the school anthem, emblem, and/or any element representative of the university.

Source: Apple Daily; Stand News #Nov2
https://bit.ly/382NdHV

#Education #FreeSpeech

#PoliceState #Censorship #WhiteTerror
Four Staff Associations in the Police Force demand University President to “take responsibility” on his “untrue” criticisms against police brutality"

It has almost been one year since the police siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). On Nov 6, 2020, the Police Force Council Staff Associations including the Hong Kong Superintendents' Association, Police Inspectors' Association, Overseas Inspectors' Association and Junior Police Officers' Association issued a letter to the president of CUHK Prof. Rocky Tuan.

In the letter, as the founder of Hong Kong Coalition, Tuan was criticised for violating “the ethos of a seeking truth as a professional”, and made “untrue claims” during the siege last year.

Ip Kin-yuen, a pro-democracy lawmaker for Education constituency, described the letter as flippant, frivolous and ironic. Also, he stated it was disrespectful that they addressed the letter to Tuan, a key person in Hong Kong’s academic and education sector.

In Ip’s opinion, Tuan’s open letter issued in Oct last year condemned police who were proven to use excessive violence against protestors. The letter was fair and unbiased, but not against the entire police force.

Source: Apple Daily #Nov6
https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20201106/TA3DLHNHDZA3PB27ET2AJWVREU/

#RockyTuan #CUHK #University #Education #CUHKSiege

#LastYearToday #CUHKSiege #NeverForget #NeverForgive
#CUHK Management Censors Protest Photos Displayed in Exhibition; Flags with “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times” Covered

Joint Students' Unions of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) organised a photo exhibition to commemorate the "CUHK Battle" where pro-democracy Hongkongers defended the campus from police siege during the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Protests.

Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/26440b

In a call to the organisers, the university management was concerned with some wordings that might deem provocative. In the exhibition, the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times” which appear on some flags in several photos, were seen covered by black paper.

The provisional president of the Students' Union (#CUSU) pointed out that students had organised many exhibitions on the 1989 Beijing Tiananmen massacre. The university authorities had never expressed any concerns .

However, this time the university management called the students union several times and clearly stated that such an event would cause "dissatisfaction among some alumni, or the students' union would be targeted".

Au is very surprised by such reaction. He worries that the freedom of expression in the university is no longer safeguarded and the #CUSU would face difficulties when organizing similar events.

Au also pointed out that it is very normal for students to care about politics. He doesn’t think that the university president Rocky Sung-chi Tuan, who is currently attacked by Beijing loyslists, has sided with any parties. Au found it absurd for the Police Officers' Association to issue an open letter to condemn Tuan.

Source: Stand News #Nov11
https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/3634306906654903/

#RockyTuan

#Mainlandization #Sinicization
#Poll: 64% Respondents Consider #HKU's Appointment of Mainland Professors as Vice-Presidents as Against Principle of Fairness

The governing council of the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) appointed two professors from mainland China, Max Shen Zuojan and Gong Peng, as vice-presidents. Shen is suspected to be a Communist Party member but the council clarified that the allegations are found to be unsubstantiated.

The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (#PORI) has interviewed 5,767 Hong Kong citizens in November 2020. The survey asked the question: 'The University of Hong Kong recently appointed two scholars from Tsinghua University, Max Shen and Peng Gong, as Vice-Presidents. How much do you consider the appointment to comply with, or not comply with, the principle of fairness?'.

89% of the pro-democracy respondents said the appointment did not comply with the principle of fairness. A total of 64% of respondents, pro-democracy or otherwise, considered the appointment 'not quite comply', ' very much not comply' and 'entirely not comply' with the principle.

Dr. Chan King-ming, associate professor at the School of Life Sciences of Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) and the former chairman of the Teacher's Association of CUHK, said that this appointment clearly shows the mainlandization and Sinicization of HKU.

Chan added that when he was the union chief a few years ago, a number of his colleagues at CUHK complained the use of Mandarin during meetings, 'it is now mainlandization, not globalization.'

Chan mentioned that since many mainland Chinese scholars had returned to China from the US, Hong Kong had become one of their preferred destinations. He worried that these scholars are being intentionally installed in different universities and organizations in Hong Kong. He added that HKU's appointment this time was related to the earlier change in the governance structure, such as the direct interventions occurring in the governing council and the Court. Such things had actually happened 15 years ago at the university.'

Chan also criticized that this appointment had already posed threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and noted that the issue of resource allocation was involved here as a number of scholars had been invited to work in mainland China, especially the Greater Bay Area.

Regarding the National Security Law, Chan remarked that chilling effect had already been brought by the reporting hotline set up by the Police's National Security Department, and 'Cultural Revolution 2.0' had come. Some students had begun self-censoring as they changed the names of their online accounts.

Source: InMedia #Nov6
https://bit.ly/34ZHErD

#AcademicFreedom #University #Academia #CCPControl #CulturalRevolution

#PolyUSiege
#PolyU University Managememt Suppresses Students' Union's Commemorative Events, Bans
Screenings and Newspaper Advertisement, Threatens Students with Penalties


On the eve of the one-year mark of the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students (PolyU), the Students' Union (#PUSU) planned to hold the screenings of two documentaries, 'Save PolyU ' and 'Inside the Red Brick Wall' on November 17 and 18, 2020, in addition to publishing a statement on the front page of Apple Daily.

However, the university management stated in an email sent to the Students' Union on Nov 11, 2020 that the screenings and the newspaper advertisement were banned. If the students do not comply, the university authorities will impose a series of punishments including terminating their use and management rights of the students' union venues; the university will also stop collecting the students union's fee for them, among other disciplinary penalties.

The Students Union condemned the university's intervention, describing it as an act intending to 'wipe out the bloody scenes in our campus'. Regarding the use of venues and operation in the future, the Union will rearrange the screenings and post the statement via their social media instead.

Source: Stand News #Nov12
#PoliticalSuppression #Censorship #University #NeverForget #NeverForgive

#Censorship #Freespeech
#University in HK to Tighten Control of the Opinion Expression: Posts on #DemocracyWall Requires Real Name and Restricts Content

In the universities in Hong Kong, the "Democracy Wall", a free posting notice board on campus, has been a symbol of free speech.

After the forceful enactment of National Security Law (#NSL) in Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) has pressured the Students Union for several times about the setting up of the pro-democracy #LennonWall.

Recently, the Student Union committee members received an email from the Staff-Student Central Management Committee about an online meeting to be held on Dec 8, 2020, which will discuss "new rules" for the Democracy Wall. The new rules proposed by the university include real-name posting and content which cannot "go against the facts".

The students union acting president Au Cheuk-hei said that the university intended to tighten the freedom of speech inside the campus.

Source: Apple Daily #Dec4

#Interview #HongkongersVoice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: "The Movement is About Seeking an Ideal, Which Can Only Come True through Practice"

Part 1:

Ah Ling (pseudonym), is a MPhil postgraduate student in Philosophy at Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). He is also one of 1.03 million citizens who took to the street on 9 June, 2019 to protest against the government’s willful introduction of extradition to China.

At the end of the rally, he headed to the Legislative Council (#LegCo) building to offer help, knowing his fellow protesters needed assistance. Shortly after he arrived at the LegCo building, a large team of police broke into protesters’ defense and arrested Ah Ling and six others.

The seven of them were dragged into the Legco building and forced down on their knees in front of a wall. They knelt there for for five hours. In November 2020, Ah Ling was charged with illegal assembly for piling up mills barriers.

On January 13, 2021, Ah Ling decided to plead guilty. In court, his lawyer stated that Ah Ling was graduated with first class honors and received 18 scholarships in three years. It is likely that he will lose the opportunity to study a Ph.D at Yale University.

Ah Ling was at last sentenced to 16 weeks of imprisonment.

“Actually, many Philosophy students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have been arrested, accounting for quite a large faction of the total arrestees. For God knows why, we kept being arrested.” Ah Ling said it lightly.

“In times like this, many of us felt being summoned and urged to do something following our [philosophical] training."

Ah Ling said Hongkongers' involvement in the pro-democracy movement came from the “sense of justice”. “We genuinely see the importance in seeking justice in Hong Kong. So willingly, we put in our time and efforts.”

Commenting on the arrests of Jimmy Lai and 12 Youths, Ah Ling expressed, “the authorities will not let go any slightest chance to scourge us.”

The current silence at the street is built up at the expense of disquiet minds and raging hearts. At the end of the Umbrella Movement in 2014, a regression took place. As of this moment, social activism in Hong Kong has seemingly slumped into another state of speechlessness and helplessness. Many people asked how could they carry on?

With reference to history, Ah Ling acknowledged a long and tough journey ahead, “there are too many races going extinct in history. Nobody is giving shit to the so-called resistance and sacrifice. All those brave deeds have been deeply buried in our history.”

But he is not pessimistic.

Ah Ling said, “it doesn’t matter … do not presume that you are going to see any achievement in your lifetime, or like some commentators claimed - the coming two weeks are the most critical. It’s better to drop this mentality altogether.”

“The entire movement is about seeking an ideal, which can only come true through our practice.”

Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3iyYrXF

#ProtestersStory #Arrest #PhilosophyStudent #University #Youth #Future #Justice