Harvard Under Investigation for Alleged Harassment of Students at Anti-CCP Protest

(Source)

House officials have opened an investigation into Harvard University after students protesting a speech by Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng on April 20 were removed from the room and allegedly harassed by Chinese students. Students Cosette Wu and Tsering Yangchen were physically dragged out of the room, with Wu being forcibly thrown out by a Chinese student and Yangchen being followed and intimidated because of the names of other protesters at the demonstration.

• Concerns of officials: The House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has expressed concerns about a possible transnational crackdown by the Chinese government and the involvement of international students from China in harassment. It urged Harvard to protect students from Beijing’s influence and asked the university for details on security for the event, disciplinary measures taken against students involved, and measures to ensure students’ freedom of expression.

• Chinese influence on American campuses: President John Moolenaar also cited a recent case in which a former Berklee College of Music student from China was convicted for threatening another student over pro-democracy leaflets. He noted the growing presence of Chinese students in the United States since 2009 and the Chinese government’s increasing attempts to monitor and manipulate them through organizations such as the Chinese Student and Scholar Associations. Moolenaar asked, “Did Harvard have sole responsibility for security at the event? If not, did Harvard collaborate with Chinese government officials or a private agency?”

Download the NextShark app:

Want to stay up-to-date on Asian American news? Download the NextShark app today!