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

 

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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

1. Visual Artists Guild, Ann Lau

2. Humanitarian China, Zhou Fengsuo, President

3. Women’s Rights in China, Jing Jiang, President

4. Chinese Democratic Education Foundation, Fang Zheng

5. Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley

6. Committee for US International Broadcasting, Ann Noonan, Executive Director

7. Women's Rights Without Frontiers, Reggie Littlejohn, Founder and President

8. Northern California Hong Kong Club

9. DC4HK - Washingtonians Supporting Hong Kong

10. SEArious For HKG

11. US Hongkongers Club, Bruce Lee, Chairman 

12. Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)

13. Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement 

14. Hong Kong Committee in Norway

15. Hong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area

16. Cornell Society for the Promotion of East Asian Liberty

17. Germany Stands with Hong Kong

18. Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.

19. Hong Kong Watch

20. Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston

21. Democracy for Hong Kong (D4HK)

22. NY4HK

23. Torontonian HongKongers Action Group

24. Canada-Hong Kong Link

25. Toronto Association for Democracy in China

26. Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles

27. Las Vegas Stands with Hong Kong (LV4HK)

28. Netherlands for Hong Kong