I Feel Like A Free Bird Now, Says Benny Tai

Getting dismissed after thirty years of service should worry any academic. But not legal scholar Benny Tai, who says he feels relieved.

“It feels like a bird flying up into the sky, there’s more freedom”, he said, adding that while it may be the end of one phase in life, it’s also the start of another.

The governing council at the University of Hong Kong decided last month to immediately dismiss him over his criminal convictions last year in relation to the pro-democracy Occupy movement in 2014.

Even though he has filed an appeal against the decision, the former associate professor of law conceded he does not think there’s any chance of success.

“I can’t expect too much from current vice chancellor Zhang Xiang as he’s quite new to Hong Kong. But in my mind, the ideal university head should be brave enough to speak up in a society full of lies,” he said.

Tai also said it’s extremely regrettable that Hong Kong’s top university is unable to defend academic freedom.

Asked about his future plans, Tai said he hopes to continue educating the public about the rule of law.

“The rule of law may have died in Hong Kong, but nobody can dismiss the possibility of it coming back to life. We need to educate people and prepare for the rule of law to return” he said.

The legal scholar has constantly been described as “naive” for his various roles in the ongoing pro-democracy movement, including the organisation of the pan-democrats' primaries for the Legislative Council election, which was originally slated for September but has now been postponed, with the government citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.

So does he regret being “naive” all these years?

“Naivety doesn’t mean immaturity. If naivety is a simple feeling of confidence, then yes, I admit I am naive as I believe that justice will be served in this society”, he said.

But he still saw some silver linings. “When I first started going down this path, there were very few people walking along with me. But what was strange was the further we walked and the darker it got, the more people joined us along the way”, said Tai.

He said he will continue to retain this “naivety” and continue doing what he believes is right.

The 56-year-old was sentenced in April last year to 15 months in prison for two public nuisance-related charges over his role in the 79-day Occupy movement. He’s currently out on bail pending an appeal, with a hearing to be held in March next year.

But the academic told RTHK that he is facing an unexpected headache as he leaves the institution where he had spent most of the last three decades — deciding whether to throw out all the papers and documents he has accrued over the years, as well as over 2,000 books stashed in his office.

“Before there was space for all these here. No more,” he said with a knowing laugh.