HK LEADER QUITS CAMBRIDGE FELLOWSHIP OVER NAT’L SECURITY LAW

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam late Saturday announced she had renounced an honorary fellowship from the University of Cambridge in England, following criticism of the city’s new national security legislation from British activists and politicians, Erin Hale wrote for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) late on August 16, 2020.

Lam, a former British citizen and one-time civil servant, was given an honorary fellowship in 2017 by Wolfson College, a constituent college of the university, after she was chosen as Chief Executive of Hong Kong by a small group of electors.

In a post on Facebook, Lam said the college felt the new law "deviated from the principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression, punishing teachers who criticize the government, preventing students from singing and chanting slogans." Lam said she was very “disappointed” with the college’s attitude and said their claims were unfounded.

Wolfson College’s governing body said in a statement it had raised concerns with Lam about her commitment to protecting human rights and freedom of expression in Hong Kong, but that she resigned in response. "The Governing Body was due to consider Mrs Lam’s Honorary Fellowship early next month but will no longer do so," the statement said. Lam has been under fire internationally since last year’s widespread pro-democracy protests but scrutiny has further escalated since Beijing imposed its new national security law on June 30.