A Hong Kong student has described an anonymous petition circulated by pro-Beijing supporters calling for her expulsion from university as an “intimidation” campaign.
The petition targeted Hailey Cheng, a student at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), who last year blew the whistle on a secondary school student’s award-winning science project, Medisafe. Cheng was arrested in February for doxxing in connection with the same academic integrity scandal.
An anonymous member of a Facebook group for the Hong Kong Programming Society posted the petition on Tuesday, urging “Hong Kong’s vast blue camp” – referring to pro-Beijing supporters in the city – to share it.
In an open letter addressed to CityU President Freddy Boey, the petitioners threatened “to escalate” the matter if the university did not expel her.
They said they would lodge complaints with the Liaison Office, deny CityU graduates interview and employment opportunities, and distribute leaflets to inform the public about the university’s handling of the situation.
The Facebook post was removed on Wednesday evening.
Writing on Threads on Wednesday, Cheng cast doubt on the legitimacy of the anonymous petition. She said that “in the absence of any verifiable identity or authorisation,” it was questionable and could mislead the public.
It may also raise concerns that the programming group’s platform had been hijacked, she added.
The CityU student also said the petition’s approach was unacceptable, as it amounted to “...
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