Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, a lawyer and pro-establishment legislator in Hong Kong （Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT）
Hong Kong lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu denied accusations by UK Lord David Alton of his conduct, and said he reserves the right to take legal action after Ho was reportedly stripped of an honorary degree by a UK university.
Ho told the Global Times on Tuesday that the accusations by David Alton, a member of the British House of Lords, were all false and the incident exposed the fragility of the so-called "procedural justice" of UK law, which "falls at the slightest push."
The response came after a blog on the Coffee House of British magazine The Spectator reported that Lord Alton had written to Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), by which Ho was bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2011, that Ho made comments about the holocaust, attacked gays and women, and was racist, urging the university to deprive Ho of the honor.
ARU withdrew Ho's honorary degree with a statement from the university saying, "Mr. Ho's conduct since he was honored has caused increasing concern," media reported on Monday.
However, Ho told the Global Times that he did not know Alton, except that Alton sent the letter to the university on Saturday to make the charges.
"His allegations are hearsay, are without proof, and hasty. And the university did not contact me or conduct an investigation," Ho noted.
Ho graduated from Chelmer Institute of Higher Education (now ARU) in 1984 and was awarded with the honorary degree in recognition of his legal work and efforts as an ambassador of the alma mater in 2011. The description of Ho on the ARU website said they were "proud to follow his continuing evolution."
Ho said that the so-called "charges" may have distorted some of his remarks in the legislative council. Ho ridiculed Hong Kong secessionist and legislator Claudia Mo Man-ching for 'habitually eating foreign sausage' and his opposition to same-sex marriage.
"It is possible that my opinion went against Alton's, but the speech is protected in the legislative council," Ho said.
"Over the past five months, it has become clear to everyone that who is really disrupting Hong Kong society," Ho noted.
"The case demonstrates that so-called justice in the UK judicial procedure is flawed, and anything will be put aside in the face of politics," Ho said, noting that the university has no idea of how to deal with major issues of right and wrong, and that he was left with no chance to respond.
"Despite the school is a century old, the incident shows that the so-called justice of UK judicial procedure would fall at the slightest push," Ho said.
Ho said he personally regrets being removed, but, more importantly, the decision revealed UK's true colors.
Ho told the Global Times he would get an attorney and continue to debate the issue. He said he will eventually prove that the accusation was false, and that the school will reverse its decision.
"By then, I will return the title to the university rather than being deprived of it."
