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.
[Follow up on 2021-10-15]
Under public pressure including this open letter co-signed by TADC, Mayer Brown has ceased to be the legal representative for HKU to seek removal of the Pillar of Shame.
U.S. law firm Mayer Brown to cease work for University of Hong Kong in dispute over Tiananmen memorial’s removal, The Washington Post
Signed
- Visual Artists Guild, Ann Lau
- Humanitarian China, Zhou Fengsuo, President
- Women’s Rights in China, Jing Jiang, President
- Chinese Democratic Education Foundation, Fang Zheng
- Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley
- Committee for US International Broadcasting, Ann Noonan, Executive Director
- Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, Reggie Littlejohn, Founder and President
- Northern California Hong Kong Club
- DC4HK – Washingtonians Supporting Hong Kong
- SEArious For HKG
- US Hongkongers Club, Bruce Lee, Chairman
- Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)
- Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
- Hong Kong Committee in Norway
- Hong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area
- Cornell Society for the Promotion of East Asian Liberty
- Germany Stands with Hong Kong
- Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.
- Hong Kong Watch
- Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston
- Democracy for Hong Kong (D4HK)
- NY4HK
- Torontonian HongKongers Action Group
- Canada-Hong Kong Link
- Toronto Association for Democracy in China
- Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles
- Las Vegas Stands with Hong Kong (LV4HK)
- Netherlands for Hong Kong
Background Information
Hong Kong university hires US law firm to seek Tiananmen statue’s removal