China’s threat to academic freedom in the UK | Letters

By Guardian Staff · The Guardian Opinion

Sara Rydkvist , the Hong Kong programme director of Amnesty International, and Francis Bown on the threat from China to academic freedom on British campuses Your report ( UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China, 3 November ) is deeply alarming. Amnesty International UK’s own research shows that attempts by the Chinese state to intimidate and silence people extend far beyond its borders: a clear case of transnational repression, where governments reach across borders to stifle dissent. We have documented how Chinese and Hong Kong students in the UK live in fear of surveillance and retaliation. Some have changed the focus of their study, avoided “sensitive” topics, or dropped research on human rights altogether. Universities are often reluctant to speak up. When student Tara Zhang was detained in China for her overseas activism, Soas University of London’s only public comment was that it was “aware of the reports”, without any public condemnation or calls for her release. Continue reading...