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US Law Firm Drops Work on Hong Kong Statue Removal after Criticism


FILE - People walk past the Pillar of Shame at the University of Hong Kong, April 14, 2009.
FILE - People walk past the Pillar of Shame at the University of Hong Kong, April 14, 2009.

A U.S. law firm said on Friday it had withdrawn from helping a Hong Kong university remove a statue honoring slain Tiananmen Square protesters after the firm's role sparked condemnation from human rights groups and U.S. politicians.

The 8-meter-tall (26-foot-tall) copper sculpture has been on display at the University of Hong Kong for more than two decades. It depicts dozens of torn and twisted bodies symbolizing those killed in China's Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1989.

Law firm Mayer Brown, which had previously described the case as a "real estate matter," said on Friday it "will not be representing its long-time client (the university) in this matter. We have no further comment."

The law firm, one of the biggest in the United States, found itself caught between international public outrage and the sensitivities of doing business in China.

The University of Hong Kong did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The sculpture known as the Pillar of Shame is one of the few remaining public symbols of the Tiananmen Square episode, which is a taboo topic in mainland China and cannot be publicly commemorated there.

Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt loaned the statue in perpetuity to a Hong Kong civil society group that disbanded last month with some members accused of national security offenses. On behalf of the university, the law firm asked the group in a letter to remove the sculpture by Wednesday, which did not occur.

In response to criticism, Mayer Brown said earlier this week, "Our legal advice is not intended as commentary on current or historical events."

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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