Letters | Hong Kong’s national security law: university presidents’ statement capitulates to Beijing and marks new low for city academia
- That university administrations would comply with the law in general is taken for granted. Drawing attention to the national security law in particular publicly signals subservience to Beijing
But that five university presidents – the heads of the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese, Polytechnic and Education universities, as well as my own university, Lingnan – have done so marks a new low in Hong Kong academia.
A moment’s reflection shows why.
First, the presidents’ joint statement is unnecessary. Abiding by the law – all law – is presumably the default position of all university administrations. By drawing attention to their compliance to the national security law in particular, the five presidents publicly signalled their subservience to Beijing. They also inserted a wedge between themselves and a substantial number of their students.
Second, the result of the presidents’ joint statement is to pressure the heads of the remaining three publicly funded universities – Baptist, City, and the University of Science and Technology – to follow suit. Hesitation to do so will now be construed by Beijing, and its supporters in Hong Kong, as a brazen act of disloyalty.
The presidents of all eight universities might have stood together as one; the action of the five shattered their unity.