University of Hong Kong sacks veteran democracy activist from tenured post

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Tuesday sacked veteran pro-democracy activist Benny Tai from his tenured position as an associate professor of law, in a move he called “the end of academic freedom” in the Chinese-ruled city.

Tai was a leading figure in Hong Kong’s 2014 “Umbrella” protests, which paralyzed the city for 79 days as demonstrators occupied main roads demanding greater democracy.

He was sentenced to 16 months in prison last year for two public nuisance offences, but released on bail pending an appeal -- a conviction which prompted HKU to begin reviewing his position more than half a year ago.

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“It marks the end of academic freedom in Hong Kong,” Tai said on Facebook of the decision by the governing council, which reversed an earlier decision by the university senate that there were not enough grounds for a dismissal.

“Academic institutions in Hong Kong cannot protect their members from internal and outside interferences.”

Tai was also singled out by Beijing officials earlier this month for his role in helping organize an unofficial primary vote for the opposition prodemocracy camp to select candidates for elections for the city’s legislature this year.

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Beijing said at the time Tai’s goal was “to seize the ruling power of Hong Kong and ... carry out a Hong Kong version of ‘color revolution’.” It said the vote was illegal and may have violated a new, sweeping national security law, which many fear will erode freedoms in the semi-autonomous city, including those of the media and academia.

Beijing and the city’s government have said the law will not affect rights and freedoms and that it was needed to plug security loopholes left by the city’s failure to introduce such laws on its own.

HKU said in a statement its council “resolved a personnel issue concerning a teaching staff member” following a “lengthy,” “stringent” and “impartial” process, without naming Tai.

The university could not be reached for comment outside business hours.