China’s aggressiveness is on the rise. It increasingly violates the sovereignty of other nations. In Australia, it has mounted attacks on pro-democracy Chinese students. This article written by Kristen Gelineau is published by Associated Press. Here is an excerpt:

China’s government and its supporters have monitored, harassed and intimidated pro-democracy Chinese students living in Australia, and Australian universities have failed to protect the students’ academic freedoms, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Wednesday.

The fear caused by the intimidation – which includes classmates reporting the students’ activities to Chinese officials – has intensified in recent years, according to the report. Terrified of reprisals against their families in China, many Chinese students and academics in Australia now censor their behavior, despite being thousands of kilometers (miles) from Beijing.

 ‘œIt was really heartbreaking how alone these students were and how vulnerable they are so far from home and feeling this lack of protection from the university,’ said Sophie McNeill, Australia researcher for Human Rights Watch and the report’s author. ‘œUniversities really fear a backlash from Beijing, so rather than discuss these issues openly, they are swept under the carpet. But we think they no longer can be.’

Read the full story here.