Australian student faces potential expulsion for anti-China protests

澳大利亞學生可能因反華抗議而被退學

University of Queensland under fire over attempts to expel student on 11 allegations of misconduct


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Australian human rights student-activist Drew Pavlou said he is facing possible expulsion from the University of Queensland (UQ) for his activism on campus against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

According to ABC News, UQ has decided to take disciplinary actions against Pavlou, who has been widely critical of the CCP as well as the institution's partnerships with China. The report said a private misconduct hearing will be held May 18 to determine the expulsion of Pavlou after he was presented 11 allegations of misconduct by the university.

Pavlou said he is planning to plead not guilty to every charge and accused the university of attempting to cover the "politically-motivated" move with minor misconduct claims, such as testing out a pen in a campus art shop. He said he believes the school wants to terminate his enrollment for fear that his vocal opposition against the CCP would damage the school's relationships.

Pavlou explained that he is being singled out because he has helped organize several on-campus events in support of the Hong Kong anti-extradition movement and has expressed concerns over the university's contract with the Confucius Institute. He said he has received death threats for his views on human rights and has even referred to by the Chinese representative in Brisbane as an "anti-China rioter" who engages in "separatist activities."

The young Australian said this was not the first time the CCP and its supporters have tried to silence him. During one of the pro-Hong Kong assemblies he took part in last year, he was physically assaulted on the university grounds by a group of pro-China protesters who crashed the event, reported Radio Taiwan International.

After Pavlou shared his current situation on Twitter, UQ has come under fire for its controversial decision. A petition in support of Pavlou has also attracted more than 23,000 signatures as of Sunday morning (April 26).

Despite the university's claim that the allegations of misconduct had nothing to do with Pavlou's political stance, many have questioned the school's ties with the Chinese government.

According to Liberty Times, UQ Vice Chancellor Peter Hoj has previously served as a senior unpaid consultant to a Beijing-based body responsible for running Confucius Institutes around the world. Xu Jie (徐杰), China's Consul-General in Brisbane, was also appointed as an adjunct professor at UQ last year.