Hong Kong Baptist University suspends student union amid fire-related messages
University accused of silencing union after removing messages from campus mourning victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and calling for justice
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has suspended the operation of its student union after removing messages from campus that demanded justice for victims of the Tai Po fire, days after police made arrests for alleged sedition in connection with the blaze.
According to the union, they were informed by the university on Thursday night that their operations had been halted until further notice.
The university did not specify whether the suspension was linked to the union’s recent posts about the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court on the campus bulletin board it runs, next to a “democracy wall”.
“We are writing to inform you that the university will suspend the operations of your committee with immediate effect until further notice,” the university’s office of student affairs said in a letter to the student union’s acting executive committee.
The suspension was attributed to several reasons, including the low proportion of students holding union membership, the committee’s alleged lack of commitment to welfare and its perceived reluctance to comply with university regulations on matters such as financial management.
The student union issued a statement online on Friday, saying it had received the letter at 7pm the previous evening and condemning the institution’s “hasty decision”.