Students vow not to storm next HKU meeting 'to avoid shifting focus from key appointment issue'
Student union head cites public's distraction from appointment issue
Students at the University of Hong Kong are not planning to storm the next meeting of the university's governing body for fear of diverting attention from what they claim is a politically motivated delay in the appointment of pro-democracy professor Johannes Chan Man-mun to a key leadership role.
Billy Fung Jing-en, president of the university's student union, said in a newspaper article yesterday that the union's action at the HKU council meeting last week had obscured the issue.
"The focus of society has shifted to the chaos. The ridiculous decision and the systemic issues of the council have been neglected," Fung wrote in . "As it is hard to maintain order at the venue, and to avoid losing the focus of the discussions, the student union is unlikely to initiate a protest at the council meeting again."
On July 28, a group of students stormed the council meeting after members voted down a motion to stop delaying the pro-vice-chancellor appointment. A search committee recommended Chan to the position in May.
One member collapsed onto the floor and was hospitalised, but it is unclear whether he hurt himself or was pushed to the ground. Another was stopped in her car when she was leaving and was also sent to hospital after complaining of feeling unwell.
Fung maintained that those who hurled bottles at council members and those who acted aggressively in a university car park were not HKU students, as other protesters were also present.
The delay in Chan's appointment is seen by many to be a political move against him, as the former law dean remains close with his colleague, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a co-founder of Occupy Central.Those who support the deferral - mostly government-appointed members - said they wanted to wait for the supervising role of provost to be filled first.
Council chairman Edward Leong Che-hung said the choice of a new provost would probably be submitted to the council by the end of this month, when the council had its monthly meeting.
