The long arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is affecting freedom of speech at overseas universities, according to a report published on Tuesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

CCP-backed activities on the campuses of Australian universities had interfered with academic freedom, affecting both students and academics critical of Beijing, the report found.

It said Beijing's supporters and the Chinese government had also harassed and intimidated those who express support for democracy movements.

"Australian universities rely on the fees international students bring, while turning a blind eye to concerns about harassment and surveillance by the Chinese government and its proxies," HRW's Australia researcher Sophie McNeill said.

"Australian university administrators are failing in their duty of care to uphold the rights of students from China," she said.

McNeill's report cited the cases of three students studying in Australia whose families had been contacted by the police back home in China regarding their activities in Australia.

The report also found that more than half of the China-related faculty interviewed were selective about what they said in public, while university administrators had also censored staff, asking them not to discuss China publicly.

Some students engaged in intimidation and physical attacks on those protesting on issues considered "sensitive" by the CCP, including the status of democratic Taiwan, the Hong Kong protest movement, and the mass incarceration of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Chinese students studying at Australian universities were particularly vulnerable, the report found, with one student reporting that their passport had been confiscated by police after they went back home, indicating that state security police have sources of information on Australian campuses.

Watching their words

A Hong Kong student who gave only the nickname Bonnie said she had attended an Australian university with close ties to the CCP, and which had a China-funded Confucius Institute on its campus.

She said some of her professors had clearly been watching their words when they talked about China-related issues.

"One professor I had would correct himself when talking about the origin of the COVID-19 virus," she said. "He stopped and said instead that it had come from Asia, instead of China."

"I knew that wasn't right, but none of the students had the courage to correct  him," she said. "I think that counts as a blow to academic freedom."RFA

https://www.crimeandmoreworld.com/rights-group-details-chinas-interference-in-academic-freedom-overseas/

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