Hong Kong Baptist University students lose appeal against punishment for role in rowdy Mandarin protests
Chinese medicine student Andrew Chan says he will consult a lawyer and pursue legal action against the school if possible
Hong Kong Baptist University has rejected an appeal by two students to overturn punishments meted out to them for their role in rowdy protests over a Mandarin language graduation requirement, and one youngster says he will pursue legal action against the school if possible.
Chinese medicine student Andrew Chan Lok-hang and environmental science student William Liu Wai-lim, both 22, were notified on Thursday that their appeal against a decision by a panel on student disciplinary cases was unsuccessful.
Instead, the university’s Student Affairs Committee told them the hearings had been “conducted fairly”.
Chan said he hoped the university’s senate – which is responsible for all academic matters and the welfare of students – would review the decision made by the committee. He would also consult a lawyer and see if he had any grounds for legal action.
In late March, Chan was suspended from classes for eight days, told to do 40 hours of community service and write an apology letter. Liu was also asked to write an apology letter and carry out 20 hours of community service.
A third student involved in the protests, former student union president Lau Tsz-kei, 20, was suspended for one semester. He did not appeal against the decision.
