Tung vow on academic freedom
Tung Chee-hwa backed universities' right to conduct opinion surveys yesterday, a day after a leading pollster accused him of trying to stop such polls.
Mr Tung categorically denied he had put pressure on Robert Chung Ting-yiu of Hong Kong University not to carry out surveys on the Chief Executive's popularity or the Government's credibility. 'I have not asked anyone, nor have I authorised anyone to ask any institution, universities or poll takers, to stop taking polls and certainly I have not asked the Hong Kong University to do this,' Mr Tung told a business lunch.
His spokesman, Stephen Lam Sui-lung, repeated the denial, saying: 'In Hong Kong, any persons, universities or organisations are free to conduct opinion polls. The SAR Government follows very closely opinion polls in Hong Kong. We consider them to be an important channel for reflecting public views on current issues.' But Dr Chung, whose allegations were revealed in the South China Morning Post yesterday, stood by his story. He repeated that he had had an 'understanding' from a 'third party' more than once last year that the Chief Executive did not like the polls carried out by the university's Social Sciences Research Centre. In yesterday's Post, Dr Chung wrote: 'I was told he did not like to see universities involved in such activities and that our polls should stop.' Dr Chung declined to reveal the identity of the third party. 'What I am concerned about is not the past but the present,' he said. 'At this stage, I will not question the truthfulness of what the Chief Executive said or which part of it was true or which part of it might be based on misunderstanding. I think it's a matter of different ways of looking at the same issue.' Dr Chung said he was happy Mr Tung had said he supported academic freedom. 'Academics should be encouraged, or at least not be the target of interference, for their activities.' He said he hoped the controversy would now be put to rest. Mr Tung's assurance was sufficient, he said. 'As to my job, I only hope we can have a room to continue with independent public opinion work, which is much needed.' Dr Chung, director of the public opinion programme at the university's journalism and media studies centre, said he was not worried about the withdrawal of funds. Now with 10 full-time staff, the centre has conducted regular polls since 1991 on the popularity of the Government and its leader. Most recent surveys have shown Mr Tung's ratings are low.
A university spokesman said no constraints had been placed on Dr Chung's work nor would they be, and pledged there would be no cut in funding. He said he had no idea whether anyone had put political pressure on Dr Chung. The university's student union called for an independent committee to be set up to investigate the controversy.
Pollsters at other universities said they had not encountered similar pressure. Timothy Wong Ka-ying, a researcher at the Chinese University's Asia-Pacific Research Institute, said: 'Sometimes, some people close to Mr Tung or the Chief Executive's Office might second-guess what Mr Tung or his office thinks. But if it's true, it's serious political interference in academic work.' Professor Michael DeGolyer, of the Baptist University's Transition Project on public opinion, said there had been no official or unofficial pressure on his team.
'I think that would be counter-productive. But is it possible for the Government to engage in counter-productive activities? Highly possible - all you have to do is look at the past week. It doesn't necessarily mean sinister, it can simply mean inept. It can be people voicing how they feel without having any evil intention.' He said Mr Tung might have complained about the surveys to friends, who had then complained to Dr Chung.
Executive Council convenor Leung Chun-ying said there was no need for the Chief Executive to put pressure on pollsters in order to influence survey results. 'I don't know why Dr Chung has such feelings. Mr Tung does not have such a policy [to influence polls] nor does he need to. Dr Chung is not the only pollster in Hong Kong. Please everybody judge whether the Chief Executive needs to do such a thing.' Basic Law Committee member and pro-Beijing politician Raymond Wu Wai-yung suggested Dr Chung had other motives. 'We have to see who will benefit from this incident. Everybody has motives before they do something. People act for themselves. They will do something when they find it advantageous and not do something if they don't,' Dr Wu said.
Professor Lau Siu-kai, of the Chinese University, urged Dr Chung to make public evidence to prove his accusation. He did not personally believe Mr Tung would put pressure on pollsters. 'I don't think the Government would be as stupid as that.' 'I was told that he did not like to see universities involved in such activities and that our polls should stop' Dr Robert Chung 'I have not asked anyone, nor have I authorised anyone to ask any institution, universities or poll takers, to stop taking polls' Tung Chee-hwa
