According to rights organization Amnesty International, China is persecuting its people who are studying overseas because of their political activism. Several students have said that their relatives have been harassed at home.
China has cracked down on domestic protestors and activists using intimidation and advanced technological techniques. The country does not tolerate political opposition.
Furthermore, according to a report by Amnesty International, which cited interviews with numerous students in eight European and North American nations, Beijing’s restrictions on political activism are becoming more widespread overseas in the form of “transnational repression”.
Overseas students reported that family members in China received threats after they attended events abroad including commemorations of the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to the group.
“Threats made to family members in mainland China included to revoke their passports, get them fired from their jobs, prevent them from receiving promotions and retirement benefits, or even limiting their physical freedom,” it claimed.
Students also said they had been blocked from posting and surveilled on Chinese social apps — often the only way to communicate with family members due to Beijing’s internet firewall.
A student reported to Amnesty International that his parents were shown “transcripts of his online WeChat conversations with family members” by the police.
Pupils complained of mental health issues “ranging from stress and trauma to paranoia and depression” brought on by the sense of constant observation. They said they consciously self-censored during lessons and social interactions.
“I would really want to publish my thesis… but I’m worried, so I chose not to,” one student told Amnesty.
Beijing has not yet reacted to the report released on Monday, but it has in the past dismissed growing claims in recent years that it targets its people residing overseas, stating that it respects the sovereignty of other nations and that all law enforcement actions are carried out in compliance with the law.
