FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 26 February 2021
Contact:
Dorjee Tseten | +917807885951| Dorjee@studentsforafreetibet.org
Lhanze Tum | SFT-Portland President | angeltum@hotmail.com
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WELCOME THE UNIVERSITY’S DECISION
NEW YORK, February 26nd— Portland State University has joined the ranks of dozens of American universities who have decided to shut down their Confucius Institute (CI). CIs are Chinese state-sponsored “Chinese language” centers which aim to increase Chinese soft power globally. [1]
Students, faculty members, and alumni of Portland State University, together with members of the Tibetan, Chinese, and Taiwanese communities of Portland, as well as human rights advocates, have been campaigning for the shutdown of PSU’s CI since 2019. The coalition submitted a letter to the Portland State University President and Board of Trustees. SFT’s Portland chapter organized a petition calling for the shutdown which garnered more than 2,600 signatures. This petition was accompanied by campus actions like flyer distribution and a movie screening of “In the Name of Confucius.” SFT activists also coordinated a protest during the PSU faculty senate meeting with community members.
“I applaud the University’s decision to stand for academic freedom and with Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and all those currently oppressed by the Chinese government. As the Chinese Communist Party commits genocide, multiple decades-long occupations, and egregious crimes and against humanity, their soft power initiatives should not be allowed on American college campuses.”
SFT-Portland President, Lhanze Tum
“Shutting down the Confucius Institute at PSU is yet again a testament to the power of grassroots mobilization. This victory should show the Chinese government that the world is waking up to their atrocities and is no longer willing to accept their money while ignoring their human rights violations. SFT will continue campaigning around the globe to ensure that there are more CI shutdowns in 2021.”
SFT Executive Director, Dorjee Tseten
Notes:
[1] https://www.pdx.edu/confucius-institute/