Pro-democracy law scholar Benny Tai has compared a pro-Beijing lawmaker’s campaign against him to the Cultural Revolution in China.
Junius Ho has urged the University of Hong Kong, where Tai is teaching at, to sack him for being the co-founder of the pro-democracy Occupy movement. Ho previously said it was contradictory for Tai to advocate for the spirit of civil disobedience whilst teaching students about defending the rule of law.
Ho’s latest move will be a rally on Sunday at Tamar Park in Admiralty, after he linked the recent appearance of pro-independence slogans on campuses and other “cold-blooded attacks” at universities to Tai’s Occupy movement.
Tai said he had never thought the Cultural revolution would happen in Hong Kong.
“But the Cultural Revolution is really happening. I never expected I would be the one kneeling on glass shacks, wearing hats with insulting words, being paraded on the streets,” he said on social media recalling the attacks on the victims during the Revolution.
“How did Hong Kong degenerate into such a situation? In the face of the looming Cultural Revolution, you may become the next victim if you do not voice your opposition now.”
今晚君事行動在十一點十分展開
Posted by 何君堯 (Junius Ho Kwan Yiu) on Tuesday, 12 September 2017
Ho said he submitted a petition with over 80,000 signatures urging the University of Hong Kong to investigate Tai, although the names of the petition were not made public, leading some to question its authenticity.
Over 250 scholars have signed a petition expressing “strong indignation” at Ho’s calls. The petition said that Ho’s move was “unfair and biased.”
In response to Ho’s threats of legal action and protests, the group said: “We believe that Councillor Ho’s words and deeds may obstruct the reform efforts of conscientious scholars.”
