HK leader cuts ties with Cambridge college over 'groundless' allegations

Hong Kong: Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has rescinded her honourary fellowship from the University of Cambridge's Wolfson College, severing ties from an institution she accuses of peddling "groundless" allegations about her, it was reported on Sunday.

Lam's move came after the college expressed concerns last month over her role in the national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in June which is aimed at punishing acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper.

The latest edition of her register of interests showed that her Wolfson College title had been crossed out.

In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Lam said that she had written to the college a day earlier to relinquish her fellowship after cancelling her US visa.

She said the president of Wolfson College had previously informed her in a letter that an unknown individual had demanded the revocation of her title, which she was given in 2017.

The Chief Executive said she believed the college president had been under pressure from British politicians, the media and other groups since Hong Kong's anti-government protests sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill erupted last year.

"The president again wrote to me last week, saying the college believes I have deviated from the principle of academic freedom and freedom of speech, penalised teachers who had criticised the government, banned students from singing and chanting slogans at school and enforced the national security law outside Hong Kong," the SCMP newspaper quoted Lam's post as saying.

Describing the accusations as "groundless", Lam slammed the president saying she had failed to present any proof despite stating she was in possession of reliable evidence. "It is difficult to convince myself to maintain ties with Wolfson College. Therefore I return the title of honorary fellowship."