Marathon Talks Turn Tears To Cheers At Chinese U

An intense, emotional, and often borderline hostile meeting between Chinese University Vice-Chancellor Rocky Tuan and hundreds of students, staff and alumni on Thursday night made a remarkable turnaround from rage and tears, to handshakes and cheers after the embattled leader huddled with a handful of students for a private chat hours after the official session ended.

Addressing reporters at the stroke of midnight after chatting with students face-to-face behind closed doors for around two hours, Tuan said the session had been “very effective” and promised to improve communication with students going forward.

“We hope we can do this more in future... What are we worried about? Is the university doing enough on certain matters? If not, how? Tell us, and we’ll do all we can. And if students aren’t doing the right thing, we can tell them too. This kind of conversation is the most effective”, Tuan said.

Masked students shouted their appreciation for their Vice-chancellor and clapped. Many shook hands with him and patted him on the shoulder.

The downright jovial atmosphere marked a stunning change from dramatic scenes just hours before, when distraught students broke down into tears and repeatedly blocked Tuan from leaving the talks, angry that he had not given a concrete undertaking to issue a formal statement condemning the police for acts of violence.

Tuan had said he would issue a statement next week, but refused to commit to condemning the police.

Several students cried uncontrollably as they begged him to speak out for them. One knelt on the floor, weeping.

Several students then stood in front of his vehicle, forcing him to return to the hall to speak in private with the crying students.

After the talks, Tuan still would not be drawn on what the statement will include, saying it will be a ‘surprise’ – but this time the students backed him as he explained that he needed to word such a statement very carefully as every word will be picked apart.

Calls for the statement had grown after one of the student speakers at the open meeting said she and others were sexually abused by officers while under detention at the San Uk Ling Holding Centre near the border.

The woman wept as she described how she was at the mercy of officers while under detention, and took off her mask – while challenging Tuan to demonstrate the same courage to condemn the police.

The police force later issued a statement saying officers will reach out to the student in hopes that she will be able to provide evidence to assist in a fair investigation. The statement added that police have not received any complaints of sexual abuse from detainees who were held at San Uk Ling.

The embattled university chief had come under fire from students the entire night – with many cutting him off frequently, with some directing obscenities at him, and questioning whether he was fit to lead the school. At one point, a laser pointer was shone on his face.

Many accused him of lacking sympathy with the arrested students, saying it was unacceptable that he had only visited two out of the 32 arrested students from the university.

Others took issue with his criticism of students who had sprayed graffiti and vandalised the campus, accusing him of being quick to blame students but give a free pass to the police. Tuan had said the damage to school facilities pained him, though he stressed that he treasures the students more than any inanimate object.

Some speakers who spoke out against the protesters were also treated to a chorus of boos.

A mainland student who spoke about how some of her compatriots have allegedly been harassed by local students was shouted down, and an alumnus who criticised the student protesters was drowned out by students loudly belting out the protest anthem, Glory to Hong Kong.

In the end, Tuan managed to make amends with the critical students – not in front of television cameras – but in a small group, in private, listening and comforting the students right in front of him.

______________________________