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Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (left) met Peter Mathieson (right) in the weeks leading up to the controversial rejection of a liberal academic's promotion to a senior manager's job. Photos: Simon Song, David Wong

Hong Kong leader CY Leung urged to reveal details of ‘sensitive’ talks with HKU chief

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying faced calls on Friday to disclose details of what he discussed with the head of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in a meeting held weeks before the controversial rejection of a liberal academic’s promotion to a senior management role.

Staff, students and alumni of HKU expressed concerns that Leung had exerted political pressure on their vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson as the meeting came at a sensitive time.

People would suspect that [Leung] might seek to influence matters
Ip Kin-yuen, lawmaker

They spoke out as more than 1,000 people formed a sea of black in the campus on Friday night in a rally condemning the decision of the university council to reject the appointment of Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, a former law faculty dean, as a pro-vice-chancellor. Organisers claimed 4,000 people had attended the rally.

The South China Morning Post revealed on Friday that Leung met Mathieson at least once in the weeks before the  council reached its decision on Chan’s promotion. It is understood that Mathieson voted in favour of Chan.

Ip Kin-yuen, the education sector lawmaker and convener of an HKU alumni concern group, urged Leung to come clean on what was discussed during the meeting.

“The timing [of the meeting] is very sensitive. People would suspect that [Leung] might seek to influence matters relating to Professor Chan,” Ip said.

Dr William Cheung Sing-wai, chairman of the HKU academic staff association, expressed similar concerns, adding the chief executive’s vice-chancellor role should be purely ceremonial.

Professor Timothy O’Leary, head of the university’s humanities school, said the meetings would raise more public suspicions given it was already widely suggested that Mathieson was under great political pressure.

Year Two student Carmen Liu Ka-man said while it was normal for Mathieson to meet Leung, the timing was sensitive. But Liu said she would not press Mathieson to give details of the meeting, as this might cause more trouble.

Leung’s office said on Thursday that the chief executive met with people of all backgrounds from time to time to exchange ideas, while a university spokesman said the vice-chancellor met with various people in the course of representing the university’s best interests.

Meanwhile, one academic who participated in last night’s rally said the appointment controversy had an extended “chilling” effect.

The scholar from Lingnan University travelled  from the Tuen Mun campus to attend the rally.  He refused to be named as he feared it might affect his own position.

“My case is the best way to illustrate the chilling effect,” said the academic, who has worked at Lingnan  for two decades.

“[The chilling effect] is not only found in HKU but has extended to Lingnan as well.”

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