Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam said on Saturday that she gave up the title of Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge University, after receiving a letter from the college asking her to answer questions regarding human rights and freedom of the press in Hong Kong.
The fellowship title has been crossed out from Lam’s annual declaration of registrable interests document published on the Executive Council’s website.
The crossed-out Cambridge Honorary Fellow title is seen on Carrie Lam's annual declaration of registrable interests document published on the Executive Council's website, in a screenshot taken on Aug. 15, 2020. Hong Kong Executive Council/Screenshot
The bottom of Carrie Lam's annual declaration of registrable interests document published on the the Executive Council's website notes "deleted by ExCo on 15.8.2020 following Mrs Lam's notification," a footnote explaining the deletion of her title of Cambridge University Honorary Fellow, seen on Aug. 15, 2020. Hong Kong Executive Council/Screenshot
According to the Chief Executive, Wolfson college wrote to her last week saying her fellowship would be revoked, unless she answers questions about what she said was “groundless” allegations against her. In a Facebook post, Lam said she was “disappointed” that Wolfson college “smeared” her with groundless accusations and hearsay, and therefore decided to give up the fellowship title to cut ties with the college.
Wolfson college issued a statement in response, saying it was concerned with Carrie Lam’s “commitment to the protection of human rights and the freedom of expression in Hong Kong.”
The statement says the college was “due to consider Mrs Lam’s Honorary Fellowship early next month but will no longer do so.”
On July 1, the first day that the national security law came into effect, Wolfson College wrote a statement saying its governing body would be considering Lam’s position as an Honorary Fellow of the College.
The United States on Aug. 7 sanctioned Carrie Lam and 10 other Hong Kong and Chinese officials for undermining the city’s autonomy and freedoms.
Since the UK established its first autonomous sanctions against the regime in July, British parliamentarians have repeatedly urged the British government to add Carrie Lam and other Chinese human rights abusers to the list.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is another British organization listing Carrie Lam as an honorary fellow. The Epoch Times contacted ICE asking whether it is also considering Lam’s fellowship position, ICE did not immediately respond to the question.
Cathy He, Eva Fu, and Alexander Zhang contributed to this report.
Lily Zhou
Author
Lily Zhou is an Ireland-based reporter covering China news for The Epoch Times.
