The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) on Sunday strongly condemned an attack on a Chinese mainland student on the campus last week.
The university said classes will continue to remain suspended on Monday due to the damage inflicted on campus facilities by violent protesters.
In a letter to all its students, staff and alumni, senior HKUST administrators described the assault on the student as "deliberate and totally unacceptable", reiterating that no violence on the campus will be tolerated.
A group of masked radicals shoved and beat up a 23-year-old mainland PhD student surnamed Zheng during an open forum between students and university President Wei Shyy on Wednesday. While he was being attacked, another group of masked students used umbrellas to block photos of the incident being taken.
Senior administrators who signed the letter include Wei, Provost Lionel Ni, Vice-President for Administration and Business Mark Hodgson, Dean of Science Yang Wang, Dean of Engineering Tim Cheng and Dean of the School of Business and Management Professor Kar Yan Tam.
The university said it will spare no effort in identifying the culprits and holding them responsible for the assault.
With the help of professionals from outside HKUST, the university authorities are trying to identify those responsible for the incident, as well as those who blocked it from being seen, the letter said. It said that once the attackers are identified, they will be punished in accordance with the university's disciplinary rules, and the institution will take appropriate legal action regardless whether those held responsible are HKUST students or not.
The university will also evaluate and take security measures to ensure the safety of participants at open forums in future.
The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday unveiled an emergency hotline for mainland students studying in Hong Kong universities.
In an open letter published by its WeChat account, the office condemned all acts of violence and intimidation targeting mainland students, and advised students to stay calm, safe and focused on their studies.
The central government's top representative body in the SAR called on students, facing a difficult situation, to seek help from their schools, and stay in contact with the liaison office and the Hong Kong Mainland Students Association.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
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