Members of student publication resign en masse citing pressure from Hong Kong Baptist University

Members of a student publication at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have collectively resigned citing interference from the university after receiving complaints.

A student editor who resigned alleged that the university said it could not guarantee student safety if the board attributed their decision to resign to HKBU's demand to recall the magazine, according to Hong Kong Free Press.

The editorial board of the student publication Jumbo announced last Friday evening that all management at its newsroom had stepped down, a month ahead of the end of their term. The board said its decision was taken as a result of attempts by the university administration to interfere with its reporting.

The student publication - a subsidiary of the university's student union - reported on student affairs but also other news, such as the city's politics and protests. The resignation means the publication's upcoming editions will be put on hold until the election of the next editorial board.

Two hours prior to announcing the mass resignation, the editorial board posted on Facebook saying that it will recall the latest edition of its magazine following demand from HKBU. The university also asked that the student publication remove calls for submissions from its social media platforms.

In a statement announcing the resignations, the editorial board said the university had asked for "clarification" regarding its report on a flag-raising ceremony on campus in early January. It had also "made comments" to the publication's former editor-in-chief about certain terms used in its reports, including the term "wuhan virus," - a reference to Covid-19. HKBU asked that the publication stop using the phrase, according to the statement.

The student protest comes in the wake of increased protest against China in Hong Kong fuelled by Beijing's National Security Law.

Earlier, Beijing's National Security Law which came into effect on July 1 last year in Hong Kong envisages punishment ranging up to a life term in prison for secession, subversion, terrorism, and foreign interference.

( With inputs from ANI )

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