University of Hong Kong students yesterday voted to remove their student union president in a campus referendum, sparked by his comments earlier this month on the June 4 Tiananmen crackdown.
At a forum on April 7, Ayo Chan Yi-ngok criticised some of the student leaders in the 1989 protest, saying they acted irrationally and that the military crackdown could have been avoided if the demonstrators had dispersed peacefully.
A total of 1,592 students voted to remove Mr Chan, with 949 against and 144 abstentions. The total number of voters was well above the 10 per cent of the total membership required for a referendum.
Mr Chan said he did not regret his comments, but admitted they could have caused misunderstanding. among the public. '[The referendum] is a positive matter in a way. It has stirred discussion on June 4 and freedom of expression,' he said, adding that he respected the choice of his fellow students. He thanked those who supported him despite the outpouring of criticism.
Student union vice-president Shing Hiu-yi said: 'Student union members are elected by popular votes. Chan's dismissal, decided by a referendum, shows the spirit of democracy.' It was the first time that a student union president had been voted out of office, she said.
Ms Shing said that a by-election would be held for the president.