No complaints against Benny Tai over independence remarks, says Hong Kong University law dean

Dean of HKU’s Faculty of Law tells the Post he is ‘not aware of any complaint directed to the faculty’ about Tai, while a source says the controversial academic’s tenure will not be affected

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Benny Tai has defended his remarks. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 5:15pm, 3 Apr 2018Updated: 11:26pm, 3 Apr 2018

Controversial academic Benny Tai Yiu-ting’s teaching position at the University of Hong Kong appears safe for now despite official condemnation of his remarks on independence for the city and mounting calls for his sacking.

HKU’s Faculty of Law dean Michael Hor told the Post he was “not aware of any complaint directed to the faculty”, while university procedures were in place to deal with any.

If a complaint was lodged, Hor said, whether the remarks by Tai – one of the leaders of the 2014 Occupy movement – fell within the confines of freedom of speech, remained to be decided.

Asked whether the pro-Beijing camp’s criticisms had put pressure on him to take action against Tai, Hor shrugged off the issue, saying, “The question at the moment concerns the pressure on the prosecutorial authorities whether or not to prefer a charge.”

Tai posted a message on his Facebook page on Tuesday night saying he believed he was being monitored by a “powerful law enforcement agency”.