Statement issued in response to Chief Executive CY Leung’s unfounded criticism of “Undergrad” in Policy Address

14 January, 2015

At today’s Policy Address, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive CY Leung began with condemning the publications of the editorial board of the previous session, namely “The Hong Kong nation deciding its own fate”（Chinese:《香港民族 命運自決》）and “Hong Kong Nationalism”（《香港民族論》）, cautioning people to be alert that Undergrad might have “misstated some facts.” The open critcism by CY Leung is indisputably an attack on freedom of speech, as well as one on academic freedom, constituting an act of “white terror.”

The Policy Address ought to lay out the government’s policies for the coming year and to respond to the demands of citizens. Last year, the Umbrella Revolution revealed the strong discontent of Hong Kong’s youth towards the HKSAR government and Hong Kong’s political development. Yet, CY Leung persists in ignoring the voices of young people and instead, he publicly targets Undergrad in his address and, along with it, the voices of the next generation. The Policy Address is meant to tackle major political and social issues, but it has now become an opportunity for the CE to denounce the young generation. If CY Leung, in his tolerance as the CE, cannot even accept the political opinions of a student media, how can the society have confidence in believing that he will listen to public opinion and pursue political development in Hong Kong?

Recently, the press in Hong Kong has encountered increasing repression, and has adopted a more pro-Beijing tone. Former editor-in-chief of Ming Pao Kevin Lau Chun-to and Next Media have been attacked, the instigators for both of which remain at large. Now CY Leung has upped the ante, publicly threatening students, perpetrating white terror, attempting to silence those with dissentious views. Undergrad is the official editorial board of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union, journalistically and editorially independent, wielding its pen as a critic of the times, to impose checks on society. Even though Undergrad has now come under political attack, we will remain undaunted, and persevere in our mission to provide journalism that is objective and incisive.

Undergrad expresses its anger at the comments made by CY Leung, and solemnly demands that he retract his statements, cease all attacks, and respect every Hong Kong citizen’s right to freedom of speech.

Undergrad, H.K.U.S.U.