CUHK says the Goddess of Democracy statue was “unauthorised,” whilst Lingnan University removes a relief citing legal and safety concerns.
by CANDICE CHAU
09:03, 24 DECEMBER 2021
Two more Hong Kong universities have torn down monuments commemorating the Tiananmen Massacre from their campuses in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Goddess of Democracy statue at Chinese University, draped in a banner with the names of 188 “political prisoners.”
The removals came one day after the University of Hong Kong (HKU) tore down the Pillar of Shame, another Tiananmen Massacre tribute, on Thursday, citing safety issues and legal concerns.
Photo: Jeffrey Ybanez.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong removed the Goddess of Democracy from its campus on Friday morning, whilst Lingnan University removed a Tiananmen Massacre relief citing safety and legal issues.
The Lingnan Tiananmen Massacre relief – before and after. Photo: Lingnan University Students’ Union Press Bureau.
Photo: Jeffrey Ybanez.
A mobile crane was spotted at the scene, and workers were seen washing the floor where the statue used to stand with a high pressure washer.
Photo: Jeffrey Ybanez.
“In 2010, the University received a request from the Chinese University Student Union to display the statue on its campus,” a CUHK statement said. “The University’s Administrative and Planning Committee unanimously resolved not to approve the request and its opposition and principles are on the public record. The University never authorised the display of the statue on its campus, and no organisation has claimed responsibility for its maintenance and management.”
The Goddess of Democracy statue, created by Chen Weiming, was an imitation of the original monument erected by student protesters in Beijing at the end of May in 1989.
Photo: Jeffrey Ybanez.
The original statue was destroyed when the People’s Liberation Army was deployed to crack down on the Beijing protests, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China on June 4, 1989. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands of people died.
Area is sealed off at Lingnan University. Photo: Lingnan University Students’ Union Press Bureau
A spokesperson from the university told HKFP that “the University has recently reviewed and assessed items on campus that may pose legal and safety risks to the University community. In the best interest of the University, items in question have been cleared, or removed and stored appropriately.”
The relief sculpture in Lingnan University campus commemorating the Tiananmen Massacre. Photo: Lingnan University Student Union Press Bureau.
The Tiananmen Massacre occurred on June 4, 1989 ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died when the People’s Liberation Army was deployed to crack down on protesters in Beijing.
Source: hongkongfp.com