Hong Kong student union suspended over calls for justice for fire victims

Hong Kong Baptist University student union says suspension was ‘unfounded’ and may have ‘ulterior motives’.Published On 5 Dec 2025A university in Hong Kong has suspended the operations of its student union after messages were posted on campus expressing condolences and urging justice for the victims of a major deadly fire.The Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) confirmed to the AFP news agency on Friday that it ordered the HKBU Student Union’s acting executive committee to suspend its operations “with immediate effect until further notice”. It did not mention the fire and the union’s call for justice in its statement confirming the suspension.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4China cracks down on calls for accountability over deadly Hong Kong blazelist 2 of 4Hong Kong residents demand answers after deadly apartment firelist 3 of 4Hong Kong leader orders independent investigation into fire that killed 151list 4 of 4Hong Kong says deficient netting spread deadly Wang Fuk blazeend of listHong Kong residents have been demanding answers from the city government after a fire that ripped through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s northern Tai Po district last week, killing at least 159 people in what was described as the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.In a statement published by the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP), HKBU cited the student union’s low membership rate, lack of a “strong commitment” to improve the welfare of students, and failure to “abide by the regulations” of the university on financial matters, as reasons for the indefinite suspension.The union rejected the reasons in a statement on social media, calling them “unreasonable”, “unfounded and arbitrary”.“The university’s irrational action raises concerns about potential ulterior motives behind this forced suspension,” AFP cited the union as saying.In a separate statement published by HKFP on Friday, the union said membership has increased “sixfold” compared with last year, despite attempts by the university to block efforts by students to improve the union.