Education University accused of dirty tricks after appearing to start welcome party before student leader could deliver speech on Hong Kong independence

Union president Cheung Yam suggests school counterpart Professor Stephen Cheung tried to mislead freshman into thinking inauguration ceremony was over, before he had delivered his remarks

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There have been three episodes at universities in Hong Kong where student leaders and professors have clashed over the right to discuss independence. Photo: David Wong

Published: 8:30pm, 5 Sep 2018Updated: 9:47pm, 5 Sep 2018

How did university management distract freshmen from listening to a contentious inauguration speech on Hong Kong independence by the student leader? By getting the party started early with food and joyful music, according to the students’ body of the Education University.

A war of words has broken out between management and the provisional student union of the Education University after it accused the school’s president, Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, of deliberately ending the ceremony early.

In his speech, Cheung Yam, president of Education University’s student union provisional executive council, said: “Hong Kong independence is the only way to build a place that is truly based on the interests of Hongkongers.”

Professor Stephen Cheung, president of Education University, has been criticised for his behaviour at this year’s welcome reception for first year students. Photo: Dickson Lee

But, the union council accused the president – who spoke before Cheung Yam – of misleading freshmen into thinking the ceremony had ended by wrapping up his speech with, “Let’s start the party and enjoy the food and drinks”.

Writing in an open letter to Stephen Cheung on Wednesday, the council, which had already publicly condemned the president last week, said it was unreasonable for him to have halted proceedings before Cheung Yam had spoken.