- no mainstream media in #HKreported this even though Prof Chin sent the letter from #LingnanU's president below to Apple Daily expressing his concern that this is an act against freedom of speech.
In March, Prof Leonard K Cheng*, President at LingnanU, issued a letter to Associate Prof Horace Chin Wan-kan of Dept of Chinese saying that he's received letters complained about "some of Chin's words and actions". These complaints are believed to be targeting at Chin's political views**.
The letter to Chin says:
Lingnan always support and defend academic freedom and free speech, and respect its staff members' right to express their opinion. However, your recent comments and actions went against your capacity as a scholar - which goes beyond the definition of freedom of speech and breaches the basic virtue of a professor, and causes severe impact to the reputation of Lingnan. I urge you to be cautious about your own words and behaviours, to focus on teaching and academic research, or you will have to bear your own consequences.
Lingnan always support and defend academic freedom and free speech, and respect its staff members' right to express their opinion. However, your recent comments and actions went against your capacity as a scholar - which goes beyond the definition of freedom of speech and breaches the basic virtue of a professor, and causes severe impact to the reputation of Lingnan. I urge you to be cautious about your own words and behaviours, to focus on teaching and academic research, or you will have to bear your own consequences.
*Prof Leonard Cheng is a CY Leung supporter and was a consultant to Leung's CE campaign in 2012. He was appointed President of Lingnan the year after Leung took office.
**Chin developed the "Hong Kong City-State Theory" and published a series of books detailing his views (since 2012), for example the importance and benefits (to both HK and China) of "HK-China separation" and the establishment of Hong Kong city-state. His views generated lots of debate, and is believed to be directly related to the growing support of Hong Kong Localism. Peking loyalists accuse Chin of advocating HK independence, and pan-democrats accuse him of spreading hate speech and being fascist for promoting "HK-China separation".
A number of self-proclaimed left-wing activists and groups (also dubbed as Leftards in HK for "supporting socialistic ideas and seeking utopian ideal by disregarding realities and facts") launched a number of campaigns, including full page newspaper advertisement, demanding Lingnan to sack Chin because he strongly criticised HKFS' inaction and tactics during the Umbrella Revolution.
A number of self-proclaimed left-wing activists and groups (also dubbed as Leftards in HK for "supporting socialistic ideas and seeking utopian ideal by disregarding realities and facts") launched a number of campaigns, including full page newspaper advertisement, demanding Lingnan to sack Chin because he strongly criticised HKFS' inaction and tactics during the Umbrella Revolution.
(Source: Wan Chin, 本土新聞Local Press)
https://m.facebook.com/realhknews/photos/a.1409691679258455.1073741828.1406176196276670/1763362990557987/?type=3
