Hong Kong's former No 2 official Anson Chan airs 'disappointment' at ex-colleague's comments during HKU appointment saga

Former government No 2 Anson Chan Fang On-sang has expressed "disappointment" at what she said was ex-colleague Rosanna Wong Yick-ming's failure to defend the autonomy of the University of Hong Kong as a governing council member.

The former chief secretary and Wong were Executive Council members in colonial governor Chris Patten's administration.

Chan made the comments a week after an audio clip was uploaded to a website in Taiwan, featuring Wong talking at a closed-door council meeting in September in which she and others spoke against appointing liberal scholar Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a key managerial post. Critics see the council's eventual move to reject Chan as politically motivated.

Chan, who now chairs a think tank, said: "I think generally there's great disappointment over the behaviour of members of HKU council, who really should know better, particularly those who have been brought up in the system, which has contributed to Hong Kong's openness, transparency, and respect for academic freedom."

Chan said the comments by Wong and others were "simply excuses" for rejecting the scholar, who is close to Occupy Central founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting. "We all know political consideration is at the back of this decision."

About three weeks ago, the two women were present when Anson Chan held a gathering with old fellow Exco members, but since the recording was leaked Wong "could not be located", she said.