UK University Suspends China Human Rights Research After Beijing Pressure

UK University Suspends China Human Rights Research After Beijing Pressure
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Sheffield Hallam University in the UK temporarily suspended research on forced labour and human rights abuses in China after receiving pressure from Chinese authorities, The Guardian reported.

The decision affected the work of Professor Laura Murphy, a leading expert at the university’s Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, whose research has documented the use of Uyghur forced labour in global supply chains. Her findings have been cited by the UN and Western governments in shaping import restrictions on goods linked to Xinjiang.

According to the report, the university ordered Murphy to halt her research in February and took down the website for her Forced Labour Lab, citing safety concerns for staff in China and a loss of insurance coverage following a defamation lawsuit by a Chinese company.

Emails seen by The Guardian suggest financial concerns related to declining Chinese student enrollment also influenced the decision.

Following legal threats from Murphy over violations of academic freedom, Sheffield Hallam lifted the ban in October and issued an apology, affirming its commitment to free expression.

The UK government later warned that attempts by foreign states to influence or intimidate academics would not be tolerated.