Beijing monitors and harasses Chinese students abroad

Amnesty International published a report revealing that students from China in other countries (including the United States) are monitored by the Chinese communist regime. They live in fear under intimidation, harassment and surveillance by the Chinese authorities, who try to prevent them from getting involved in political issues during their stay abroad.

These are people who study in Europe and America. They were interviewed for the report At university, I'm afraid. They explained that they had been photographed and followed during the protests that took place in the country to which they emigrated. Additionally, many of them stated that their relatives in China had been subjected to police attacks and threats due to fear of student activism abroad.

“The testimonies gathered in this report paint a chilling picture of how the Chinese and Hong Kong governments seek to silence students even when they are thousands of miles from home, leaving many students living in fear,” said Sarah Brooks, director of Amnesty International for China.

One student, who the report called Rowan in order to keep her real name anonymous, described how, within hours of attending a commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, she was told that officers had contacted her father in China to ask him to scold his daughter and ask her not to attend events that could damage China's reputation in the world.

"Rowan had not shared her real name with anyone involved in the protest or posted online about her own involvement, so was shocked at the speed with which Chinese officials had identified her as a participant, located her father and used him to warn her against any further dissent. Rowan told Amnesty International that the message was clear: 'We are watching you and even though we are on the other side of the planet, we can reach you,'" Amnesty International explained.

Students are not the ones ones facing persecution. Many reported that their family in China has also received threats.

"Threats made to family members in mainland China included the revoking of their passports, having them fired from their jobs, preventing them from receiving promotions and retirement benefits, or even limiting their physical freedom. Chinese police have also pressured or instructed students’ China-based family members to cut off financial support to their children to coerce them into silence in at least three cases," Amnesty International reported.

Those interviewed said that they avoid making public comments for fear of retaliation from the Chinese authorities. Most stated that they limited their participation in classrooms due to the possible risk of having their comments and opinions reported to Chinese government. One third of the student population reported that this risk had led them to rethink their studies or rule out a future career in academia.

Meanwhile, almost half of the people interviewed declared they were afraid to return home. Other students stated that they saw no option but to request political asylum upon finishing their studies, because they believed they would be subject to persecution if they returned to China.

"Several students told Amnesty that, while abroad, they believed they were under surveillance by the Chinese authorities or their agents. Almost half claimed they had been photographed or recorded at events such as protests by individuals they believed were acting on behalf of the state.," according to the report.

In the past, it has been repeatedly reported that China has established several "overseas police service stations" to monitor its citizens. There are dozens of police stations spread across several countries around the world, including the United States. In total, there are more than 50 police stations in 30 countries.