NTU student groups urge HKBU to lift student union suspension

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Student organizations at National Taiwan University (NTU) issued a joint statement Saturday supporting the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) Students' Union, which faces indefinite suspension after it called for government action following the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong.

The Nov. 26 fire has killed at least 159 people, with 31 still missing.

The HKBU Students' Union posted condolence slogans on a campus bulletin board on Dec. 2, including "We sincerely ask the government to listen to the people's voice," "Respond to public needs," and "May justice be served."

The bulletin board was soon blocked from view with water-filled barriers and panel boards.

The student union said Thursday on Facebook that it had received a notice of indefinite suspension from the university.

A photo posted by the union shows a notice stating that the union was suspended because its committee lacked sufficient members and failed to comply with financial management regulations.

The notice also said union representatives must vacate their offices by Saturday.

In their joint statement, the National Taiwan University Student Congress (NTUSC) and the NTU Student Association's Student Rights Department said HKBU suspended its student union because it was not representative enough and failed to follow school regulations.

Such claims constitute interference with the independence of student self-governance, the statement said, adding that universities should respect the independence of student organizations.

NTUSC Chair Huang Sheng-en (黃聖恩) told CNA that HKBU was using purported organizational and financial issues as a pretext to curb the student union's freedom of speech and that his group hoped to speak up for HKBU students and call on Taiwanese to monitor the situation together.