UK rights group rep tells Junius Ho the bad news

Local | 25 Nov 2019 9:50 am

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu came face-to-face with the man responsible for having his honorary doctorate from a UK university revoked, as he campaigned in Tuen Mun yesterday, RHK reports.
Ho was awarded the honorary law doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University in 2011, for his legal work and efforts as an ambassador for his alma mater.
However, the university decided to strip Ho of the honorary degree last month, saying the lawmaker’s conduct had caused “increasing concern”.
Luke de Pulford, a member of the UK Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission, was instrumental in persuading Anglia Ruskin University to strip Ho of the honor.
De Pulford, who is in Hong Kong at the invitation of local community groups to act as an international observer for Sunday’s District Council election, ran into Ho in Tuen Mun.
On his Twitter account, de Pulford said he had taken some time out from observing the election to tell Ho in person that he was responsible for the revocation of his honorary doctorate.
In the embedded video, Ho can be heard replying: “OK, good luck to you then.” He was surrounded by bodyguards, who have maintained a conspicuous presence around the lawmaker since he was stabbed in the chest earlier this month.
Anglia Ruskin University did not specify what conduct it was referring to, but a member of Britain’s House of Lords, David Alton, had also earlier written to the university asking why it continued to honor Ho.
Lord Alton, who is also in Hong Kong as an election observer, criticized Ho's use of inflammatory language and accused him of congratulating triads involved in violence in Yuen Long on July 21. Ho has repeatedly denied that accusation, saying he was only greeting some constituents.
Ho had hit back at the decision to strip him of his honorary degree, complaining he had fallen victim to political suppression and hinted he could take legal action.
He said the decision was procedurally unfair as he had been given no opportunity to respond to any of the claims against him. He said he would reserve his legal rights over the matter.