The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is surprised and disappointed by the Australian National University’s last-minute decision to refuse permission for Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) General Secretary Lee Cheuk-yan and other Hong Kong democracy activists to speak at a public event at the University this afternoon.
“Having initially given approval for the event to be held in a campus lecture theatre, at the last minute that approval has been withdrawn, citing ‘security concerns’,” said NTEU ACT Division Secretary Dr Cathy Day.
“This is very disappointing, as many members were interested to hear about the current situation in Hong Kong, and the role that trade unions are playing in human rights and social justice issues.”
We can only hope that this doesn’t indicate a change in ANU management’s views on freedom of speech matters,” Dr Day said.
