Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has suspended the operations of its student union after a condolence message mourning the victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire was shown on a student-run noticeboard.
The fire that tore through Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last week killed at least 159 people, making it the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.
HKBU told AFP on Friday it had ordered the union’s acting executive committee to “suspend its operations with immediate effect until further notice”.
“Only a small percentage of HKBU students are members of the union. Furthermore, the Committee has not shown willingness to comply with university regulations in areas such as financial management,” the university said.
The union rejected the reasons, calling them “unfounded and arbitrary”, adding that “the university’s irrational action raises concerns about potential ulterior motives behind this forced suspension”.
Photos circulated online earlier this week showed a condolence message stuck to the student union’s “democracy wall”, reading: “We are Hongkongers. Urge the government to be receptive and respond to public demands so justice can be done.”
On Wednesday, the wall was blocked off by tall barricades, according to an AFP reporter.
A student who gave only his first name, Kevin, said he viewed the message as “positive” and noted students had stopped to read it before it was sealed off.
HKBU did not answer AFP’s questions about the status of the democracy wall.
Authorities have warned against crimes that “exploit the tragedy”, and at least three people have reportedly been arrested for sedition following the blaze.
Student unions were once hubs of activism on Hong Kong campuses and played a role during the 2019 pro-democracy protests, but many shrank or dissolved after Beijing introduced a national security law the following year.
