HKU petitioner stands by claim students attacked professor at stormed meeting despite not ‘knowing what was going on’
A University of Hong Kong alumnus who started an online petition condemning students who stormed an HKU council meeting said she would stand by an allegation a councillor was attacked – even though it remained unclear why he fell to the ground.
A University of Hong Kong alumnus who started an online petition condemning students who stormed an HKU council meeting last week said today she would stand by an allegation a councillor was attacked – even though it remained unclear why he fell to the ground.
The petition by 2000 graduate Maureen Chung Mo-lan, lashes out at liberal scholar Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun for breaking the rules on political donations and at protesting students for “attacking” Professor Lo Chung-mau during the council meeting last Wednesday.
The closed-door meeting ended in chaos when angry students stormed the venue upon learning that members were sticking to their guns in deferring the appointment of Chan to the key managerial post of pro-vice-chancellor.
Chan’s supporters say his appointment has been delayed because of his pro-democracy views and close ties with his colleague, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who co-founded last year’s Occupy Central movement.
By crowding around Lo and not letting him leave, [the students] might have led to his injury
Lo, one of those who supported the controversial deferral, collapsed in the middle of the shouting and shoving in the overcrowded council meeting room. It was unclear whether he fainted or was pushed to the ground. Although Lo himself admitted that he did not know if he was attacked, Chung said it did not matter.
“Even Lo might not know what happened. It’s up to the police,” she told Commercial Radio. “We’re not going to change the letter just because of one sentence that one person said … by crowding around Lo and not letting him leave, [the students] might have led to his injury.”
Chung however, admitted not really “knowing a lot about what was going on” at the meeting, although it made her and her fellow petitioners “very uncomfortable”. Yesterday, she said the petition had collected 4,467 signatures, of which 1,171 were HKU alumni.
Meanwhile, HKU vice-chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson confirmed last night that paediatric surgeon Professor Paul Tam kwong-hang would officially take the reigns of interim provost this month after stepping into the role early last month.
Mathieson said the decision had been approved at a July 28 meeting of the HKU council, effective August 1.
Tam, who has chaired paediatric surgery at Hku since 1996, will take on the duties of pro-vice-chancellor until a permanent appointment is made. He will maintain his current position as pro-vice-chancellor for research until his successor Professor Andy Hor Tzi Sum arrives in September.
HKU councillor and students’ union president Billy Fung Jing-en said the move was no different from when Tam was promoted to acting provost early last month.
