Hong Kong University Expels Student Activist After Calls for Accountability Over Deadly Fire

HONG KONG, Feb 14: A Hong Kong university student who demanded accountability following a deadly residential fire has been expelled from his studies, raising concerns over academic freedom and disciplinary practices in the city.

Miles Kwan, a 24-year-old politics student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), confirmed on Friday that he had been terminated from the university after a disciplinary review. Kwan was previously detained by Hong Kong’s national security police in 2025 for alleged “seditious intent” after distributing flyers calling for an independent investigation into a fire that killed 168 people in November.

Following his release on bail, the university initiated disciplinary proceedings, which resulted in a decision on Feb 12 to remove him from his program due to what the institution described as “multiple acts of misconduct,” according to a disciplinary letter seen by AFP.

In a brief statement, CUHK declined to comment on individual cases, noting that students who accumulate three demerits for disciplinary violations may be expelled from their studies.

Kwan said he was not punished for his 2025 arrest but instead received disciplinary penalties for criticizing the university committee, calling it a “kangaroo panel” and a “disgrace.” He also cited a past charge of “criminal damage” related to placing stickers on lampposts in 2022 to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

The student said he had already completed his coursework and was scheduled to graduate in March. In a statement, he criticized the university’s decision, saying it was using academic credentials as a tool to silence dissent.

“You can take away qualifications, but you can’t take away dignity,” he said.

Kwan was among those who helped launch a petition following the fatal blaze at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, one of the deadliest residential fires globally since 1980. The petition called for government accountability, an independent investigation into potential corruption, improved resettlement for victims, and a review of construction safety oversight.

Authorities in Hong Kong have since established a judge-led independent committee to investigate the fire, though critics continue to question the transparency of the process.