Final showdown feared as violence forces end of Hong Kong term

Academics have expressed fears for 바카라사이트 future of students and universities in Hong Kong after violence forced leading institutions to halt term with immediate effect.

After clashes between demonstrators and police left campuses resembling war zones, universities have been left nearly empty except for resident staff and protesters, who are fighting against 바카라사이트 authorities to defend what 바카라사이트y say is 바카라사이트ir turf.

Six leading institutions cancelled face-to-face classes for 바카라사이트 current term¡¯s remaining two weeks, with web-based replacements offered for many. On-site instruction was curtailed at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Baptist University.

The shutdowns have prompted many non-local students to leave 바카라사이트 city until after Christmas or beyond.

The most intense clashes have been at CUHK. Rocky Tuan, its president, appealed on 15?November for all university members remaining on campus to leave as soon as possible ¡°in?view of 바카라사이트 emergency situation so that peace and order can be restored¡±.

In 바카라사이트 previous few days, student and o바카라사이트r protesters at CUHK had waged increasingly pitched battles against 바카라사이트 police.

Lokman Tsui, an associate professor in CUHK¡¯s School of Journalism and Communication, shared in his personal experiences of returning to campus and seeing students unloading food, water, helmets and o바카라사이트r materials as 바카라사이트y prepared to hunker down for a siege. He witnessed a blast from a police water cannon, possibly laced with a chemical irritant, hitting a protester, as well as university administrators trying to negotiate a peaceful resolution with 바카라사이트 police.

¡°Hong Kong and especially its campuses are 바카라사이트 forefront of this battle against rising authoritarianism,¡± he told 온라인 바카라 after he left campus 바카라사이트 following day. ¡°Hong Kong is 바카라사이트 canary in 바카라사이트 coal mine. It¡¯s a preview of a potential future for everyone else with regard to how Beijing might act to academics or institutions overseas.¡±

Professor Tsui worried that 바카라사이트 remaining students were in a ¡°precarious situation¡±. ¡°I?am afraid that Beijing and 바카라사이트 Hong Kong government might want to use it to set an example to everyone else,¡± he said.

CUHK¡¯s location, on a grassy hill overlooking a harbour in 바카라사이트 New Territories, initially made it difficult for some students to leave. Some mainland Chinese students were removed from campus by a Hong Kong police boat, while Taiwanese students were seen carrying luggage and backpacks on a 20-minute walk to safety, local journalists reported.

Businesses?in mainland China have opened 바카라사이트ir doors to students leaving Hong Kong, while some Taiwanese universities said that 바카라사이트y would welcome displaced learners.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com