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PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHAT: An open letter urging the US law firm Mayer Brown to rescind their agreement to represent the University of Hong Kong in demanding the removal of the "Pillar of Shame" sculpture from the university campus.
WHEN: For immediate release
WHY: The Hong Kong government, under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party, wants to wipe out any history of China, especially the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. The US law firm Mayer Brown is representing the University of Hong Kong in that effort.

Contact:

Ann Lau, Visual Artists Guild, 310-433-0697, alau@visual-artists-guild.org

Ken Chan, Northern California Hong Kong Club, kwokheichan@gmail.com

Open letter to Mayer Brown law firm

We the undersigned, human rights and civil society organizations around the world, respectfully ask the Mayer Brown law firm to rescind their agreement to represent the University of Hong Kong in their attempt to remove the famous "Pillar of Shame' sculpture from the university's campus. The sculpture was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt in 1997 to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.

The Mayer Brown law firm stated as their mission to "contribute when and where we can have a great impact. We encourage and enable our lawyers and business services to play a role in making a positive difference in the lives of others."

The sculpture has been at the University of Hong Kong campus for over 20 years. For the Mayer Brown law firm to demand that it be removed after all these years when there had been no objections from the university officials nor from the student body in the past, shows that Mayer Brown has violated its stated mission to make a positive difference in the lives of citizens in Hong Kong.

We therefore expect Mayer Brown law firm to safeguard their reputation and their integrity in defending the right of freedom of expression by rescinding their agreement with the University of Hong Kong.

Signed