Student support not needed for disciplinary code review, HKU governing council says

Working group’s comment counters suggestion by review panel in aftermath of student protests over controversial issues

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More than 1,500 HKU staff and students, including various concern groups, join a protest against the university's governing council in 2015. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 3:33pm, 29 Jun 2017Updated: 10:31pm, 29 Jun 2017

The governing body of the University of Hong Kong has said it will not let students stand in the way if it has to review the disciplinary code addressing violence at protests on campus.

The comment counters the suggestion of a panel of scholars which had recommended that full support from student representatives was required for initiating such reviews. The panel was tasked to assess the university’s governance structure.

The HKU governing council’s working party released its report on the panel’s recommendations on Tuesday night, indicating that it would engage students, but stating that their full support on such matters pertaining to discipline was not necessary.

Protesting students try to break into a Hong Kong Jockey Club building on Sassoon Road in Pok Fu Lam, where HKU governing council chairman Arthur Li is in attendance. Photo: Sam Tsang

The party also rejected suggestions to scrap the default arrangement of the city’s chief executive as the university’s chancellor, or to strip his power to appoint the chairperson of the council and approve honorary degrees.

The controversial issue has previously led to violent disruptions at the council’s meetings last year.

“It’s simply impossible if full support [of student representatives] is needed to discipline other students,” said a member of the working party who asked to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the group.