tirsdag 20. juli 2021

Chan kin-man, co-founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Occupy movement, opts for Taiwan ‘retreat’

A high-profile academic and co-founder of Hong Kong’s Occupy Central movement has left the city to teach for a year as a visiting professor at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University. Chan Kin-man, who arrived in Taiwan on Monday afternoon, had accepted an invitation from the university’s sociology department, Faculty Chair Hermes Huang said in a social media post. Chan will teach two modules at the university in Taipei – one on social movements, and another on modern China, the scholar told Commercial Radio on Tuesday, adding that he planned to return to the city in 12 months time.

When asked if he was concerned that the contents of the modules might violate the Beijing-imposed national security law, Chan said that he was worried and that the law would create some limitations to the subjects due to the fact that he plans to return to Hong Kong.

“The boundaries of this national security law are so blurry, who can say for sure whether someone has crossed the line?” said Chan. “I don’t really talk about my personal political views in class, as a sociology professor, I’m analytical…”