All Student Vote (Spring 2020)

Motion to support Hong Kong's movement and protect freedom of expression on campus

This motion asks for Warwick SU to publish a statement condemning human rights abuses by the Hong Kong Police Force and SAR Government. To also support Hong Kong students involved in any campaigns

This Union Notes:

This section should include any facts, figures or statements that you believe are relevant to the topic of your policy. Remember in this section clear and effective referencing is important.

1. Hong Kong is currently facing unprecedented levels of police brutality, infringement on democracy and human rights.1
2. Some Warwick Hong Kong students are trying to raise awareness on campus about the causes and evolution of Hong Kong protests.2
3. Some Warwick Hong Kong students made an application to put up a Lennon Wall on campus for a month-long period. The University took 3 weeks to respond, then granted permission for 8 hours during the reading week of 6th November 2019.3
4. The “Li Pig”, an image of a pig wearing a yellow helmet formed by a collage of post-its on the Lennon Wall, has been taken down by the campus security, without verification of the accusations.4
5. Due to several Warwick Hong Kong students being subject to severe threats on social media, an official complaint has now been submitted to the University.

This Union Believes:

This section should include opinions or supporting statements for your policy.

1. Warwick SU believes that students should be allowed and encouraged to voice their opinions and raise awareness of issues that are surrounding the Hong Kong protests.
2. Warwick SU strongly condemns the abhorrent human rights abuses of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong SAR Government.
3. Warwick SU is a place of inclusion and supports democracy and peace.
4. Warwick SU will always safeguard the students’ right to freedom of expression.
5. Warwick SU supports its students in times of adversity, especially when they are far away from home.

1 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/10/timeline-of-the-2019-hong-kong-protests/

2 https://theboar.org/2019/11/warwick-students-from-hong-kong-erect-lennon-wall-at-the-piazza/

3 https://theboar.org/2019/11/warwick-students-from-hong-kong-erect-lennon-wall-at-the-piazza/

4 https://theboar.org/2019/11/warwick-security-take-down-lennon-wall-pig-dubbed-racist-by-chinese-students/

This Union Resolves:

This section should be about how you want the SU to react, the outcome of this policy. Remember to mandate specific departments/sabbatical officers; this will make things easier for future accountability.

1. Ben Newsham, Warwick SU President, would advocate and support Hong Kong student’s campaigns by, for example, promoting on weekly All Member Email and allowing the erection of a display board in the SU Atrium for a semi-permanent period. The display board will contain materials related to the Hong Kong protests including but not limited to: post-its, info-graphics, photos and posters. Materials will either be in English or translated into English from Chinese that is originally displayed on the materials.
2. Warwick SU President, Ben Newsham, and Democracy & Development Officer, Milly Last, would lobby the University of Warwick for considering any future protest material as its property, thereby protecting them from any physical damage and forceful removal.
3. Warwick SU would support Hong Kong students involved in any kind of campaigns and respectful expression from malicious doxxing, cyber-bullying and death/physical threats.
4. Warwick SU would publish a statement condemning human rights abuses by the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong SAR Government.