The University of Hong Kong recently accused the Student Union of “becoming increasingly political in recent years, repeatedly using the campus as a platform for political propaganda, publicly making inflammatory and possibly illegal statements, and making false accusations against the University”. The decision was made to stop collecting dues on behalf of the student union; to stop providing financial management services for the student union; to withdraw the management of the student union’s premises and other facilities, and to take further measures as necessary in the light of the situation. A number of former officers of the Hong Kong University Student Union published an open letter Tuesday night (4), demanding that Taiwan’s Academia Sinica withdraw the membership of HKU President Chang Cheong. Taiwan Academia Sinica responded on Wednesday by saying that it “firmly believes in universal values such as democracy and freedom,” but that changes in the honorary titles of academicians must be decided by a meeting of academicians.
Former HKU student union officers, including Zhang Kunyang, a former member of the current affairs committee of the University of Hong Kong Students’ Union Senate, and Zhou Yongkang, former vice president for external affairs of the HKU Student Union, issued an open letter Tuesday questioning Zhang Xiang’s failure to denounce tyranny during Hong Kong’s anti-Send-China movement, and his leadership in destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy in the name of national security, jeopardizing Hong Kong people’s freedom of speech and academic freedom on campus. The open letter urged Academia Sinica President Liao Junzhi to review and consider revoking Zhang Xiang’s membership, and to show solidarity with Hong Kong students and academic freedom to ensure that Academia Sinica’s reputation is not tarnished.
The media group of Academia Sinica responded to the open letter by pointing out that Academia Sinica firmly believes in universal values such as freedom and democracy, and that Academia Sinica is a lifetime honorary honorary title, elected by all members, and that matters related to Academia Sinica, such as changes in honorary titles, must be discussed and decided by democratic procedures in the meeting of members.
According to the official website of Taiwan Academia Sinica, the Institute has 274 members, and Zhang Xiang is one of the four members of the Mathematical Sciences Group from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
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