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#June4th #Tienanmen
June 4 Slogan Outside HKU Swire Hall Barricaded; University Cites Maintenance Reasons

Source: WhatsNews Media, Undergrad; #Jan29

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32035
#June4th #Tienanmen
June 4 Slogan Outside HKU Swire Hall Barricaded; University Cites Maintenance Reasons

Since the end of 2021, numerous June Fourth artefacts have been removed from the grounds of various universities, including the Pillar of Shame in the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the Goddess of Democracy in the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK), and the June Fourth Commemorative Relief and “Goddess of Democracy” spray art in Lingnan University (#LingU).

Since around 0930 on #Jan29, the June Fourth slogan outside of HKU’s Swire Hall has been barricaded by the university, with personnel at the site stating that they were there on behalf of “beautification works”.

Undergrad, one of HKU’s campus media, have enquired HKU’s Communications and Public Affairs Office, who stated that the site was barricaded due to a “scheduled maintenance” of the site.

Jason Wong Ching Hin, elected full-time undergraduate student of the University Council, arrived at the site in the afternoon, and stated to the press that he did not know about the incident prior, questioning the University's self-censorship and expressed confusion why the University would “attract attention with this unnecessary move”.

In 1989, then chairperson of Swire Hall Students' Association Cheung Yui Fai and his fellow schoolmates, angered at the Chinese Government's massacre at Tiananmen Square, wrote a banner on a piece of black cloth that reads:-

Cold-blooded Massacre, Martyrs’ Souls Enduring; Eliminate Evil, Undying Democracy Flames.
冷血屠城 烈士英魂不朽 誓殲豺狼 民主星火不滅

The paint seeped through the black banner and remained on the bridge. After this, HKU students and Swire Hall residents would repaint the slogan every year as a way to keep the June Fourth Spirit going.

Source: WhatsNews Media (https://www.whatsnewsmedia.com/6831/15/03/02/), Undergrad (https://www.instagram.com/p/CZTuKgxBOAX/); #Jan29
#AcademicFreedom #Suppression
Hong Kong denies visa for US human rights law scholar with no apparent reasons

On 2 February, an American legal scholar specialising in LGBTQ rights said he was denied a visa to teach at a Hong Kong university, as concerns deepen about academic freedom in the city.

Legal scholar Ryan Thoreson said he was hired by the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the city’s oldest, to teach human rights law as a tenure-track assistant professor, but his visa application was rejected.

“(The government) hadn’t given an explanation for it, but it just showed up on the immigration website saying the application had been refused,” Thoreson said.

#RyanThoreson #HumanRights #LGBTQ #Visa

Source: Ming Pao, HKFP; #Feb2
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220202/s00001/1643779715101
#Suppression #WhiteTerror
The 7th University in Hong Kong ceases recognition of its Students’ Union

In an internal email sent to students and faculty members on January 20, 2022, the Education University of Hong Kong (#EdUHK) criticized governance of the student union, saying that the Union has been operating under a ‘provisional’ body for the past four consecutive years, without proper mandate and therefore lack of student representation.

The university said it will stop offering support to the union, including the collection of membership fees, providing network accounts and services, and offering IT support. Additionally, the student union will lose access to its office space and the right to book and use campus facilities and venues.

The union’s HK$9 million reserve will also be “kept under the custody” of the university’s Finance Office.

In just one year, seven of eight universities in Hong Kong has cut ties with their students’ union, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK), the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the City University of Hong Kong (#CityU), the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (#PolyU), the Baptist University of Hong Kong (#BUHK) and the Lingnan University of Hong Kong (#LingnanU).

#StudentsUnion #Authoritarianism #Censorship #Education

Source: inmediahk; #Jan20
https://bit.ly/3FJOnoP

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30489
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#AcademicFreedom
U.S. LGBTQ scholar denied visa to Hong Kong, possibly due to ties with Human Rights Watch

U.S. law scholar Ryan Thoreson, who studies the social and legal issues of #LGBTQ, was denied having a teaching visa from the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) as a tenured Assistant Professor. The scholar did not receive any reason for the denial.

Read related article
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32082

As there was no official explanation, Ryan Thoreson could not say whether it was because of his ties with Hong Kong Watch. "I don't think my studies have special criticisms on China as my main focus is on LGBTQ rights."

RFI said that the incident increased concerns about academic freedom in Hong Kong.

#RyanThoreson #HongKongWatch #AcademicFreedom

Source: RFI #Feb02

https://bit.ly/3GJVdej
Sculptor of dismantled Tiananmen statue says damage symbolic of Hong Kong struggle

The sculptor of a statue commemorating the victims of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown said on Friday that its removal from a Hong Kong university was "brutal" but any damage would be symbolic of recent changes in the city under Chinese rule.

The eight-metre (26-foot) sculpture of anguished human torsos was one of the few remaining public memorials in the former British colony to remember the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters - a taboo topic in mainland China, where it cannot be publicly commemorated.

Source: Reuters #Dec25

https://reut.rs/32ApwFS

#HKU #Tiananmen #Democracy #Protester #Taboo #China
Two more Tiananmen monuments removed from Hong Kong universities

Two more Hong Kong universities removed on Friday public monuments to the 1989 Tiananmen protests in Beijing, following the dismantling of a sculpture commemorating victims of the crackdown at another university this week.

The removals at Chinese University and Lingnan University in the global financial hub came as authorities have been clamping down under a national security law imposed by China.

Human rights activists say the law is being used to suppress civil society, jail democracy campaigners and curb basic freedoms, but authorities say the security laws have restored stability after mass protests in 2019.

Source: Reuters #Dec25

https://reut.rs/3qkOcuo

#HKU #Tiananmen #Democracy #Protester #Taboo #China
#Crackdown #Censorship
Slogan dedicated to victims of Tiananmen crackdown has been painted over and lined with a row of potted plants in a Hong Kong University

#CUHK #LingnanU #HKU #PillarOfShame #Education #FreedomOfSpeech

Source: Inmediahk; #Mar31
Photo credit: HKFP

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#Crackdown #Censorship
Slogan dedicated to victims of Tiananmen crackdown has been painted over and lined with a row of potted plants in a Hong Kong University

Residents at Swire Hall of the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) painted a slogan on the bridge after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989.

Every year since then, HKU students have retouched the slogan, which read: “Souls of martyrs shall forever linger despite the brutal massacre; Spark of democracy shall forever glow for the demise of evils.”

33 years later, the university cordoned off the bridge claiming for “regular maintenance works”. Later on the slogan was found covered with cement and on top of it, a row of flower pots was added.

The removal of the slogan was part of a wider clampdown on commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown at universities across Hong Kong.

In December, HKU dismantled the Pillar of Shame statue – an eight-metre sculpture that depicts bloodied bodies bundled together – in the middle of the night.

The next day, also in the early hours, a Goddess of Democracy statue and a relief sculpture were taken down at Chinese University (#CUHK) and Lingnan University (#LingnanU).

#CUHK #LingnanU #HKU #PillarOfShame #Education #FreedomOfSpeech

Source: Inmediahk; #Mar31
https://bit.ly/3J16po2

Photo credit: HKFP
#WhiteTerror #Oppression
Over a dozen companies refuse to transport #PillarofShame, citing concerns over Chinese government's reprisal

The Pillar of Shame - the Tiananmen memorial at the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) which stood for more than 20 years - has been dismantled and packed away in cargo containers by the University management in the middle of the night in December 2021.

Since then, the creator of the Pillar, Danish artist #JensGalschiøt, had been attempting to ship the Pillar back to Denmark.

In a statement, Galschiøt said that his team, including lawyers, 2 shipping companies, and even the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs were involved in the effort, but they had yet to find a company to move the cargo container from storage to the container wharf.

12 shipping companies turned them down, all citing concerns over the Chinese government taking vengeance on them.

Galschiøt reiterated that he is still hopeful for success, but it remains unclear as to when the Pillar can be shipped out of Hong Kong.

Source: Inmediahk; #Apr19
https://bit.ly/3918PH7

See also:
The Pillar of Shame is being destroyed in these minutes : Jen Galschiot calls for public record on Twitter (Dec 23, 2021)
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31702

New School for Democracy Announces Rebuilding Pillar of Shame in Taiwan: "One Pillar Falls, Thousands More Will Be Raised" (Jan 27, 2022)
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/15

#June4 #TiananmenMassacre #Memorial
Exclusive: University of Hong Kong makes library users register to access some politically sensitive books

The library at Hong Kong’s top university has introduced a new system under which readers must register in advance to gain access to some politically sensitive books or archive materials. 

A Hong Kong researcher said the new policy, which follows moves by the city’s public libraries to remove some titles, might impede study of more “sensitive” topics.

The new system has been installed at the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Special Collections, a space separated by a glass wall within the Main Library building. The area “houses a unique collection of Hong Kong materials, rare books, and microforms,” according to HKU’s website. 

Source: HKFP #Oct31

#HKU #Library #Sensitive #Book

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/10/31/exclusive-university-of-hong-kong-makes-library-users-register-to-access-some-politically-sensitive-books