An investigation into allegations that a British university was subjected to pressure from Beijing authorities to halt research about human rights abuses in China has been referred to counter-terrorism police.
The Guardian reported on Monday morning that Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC) research institution, had ordered professor Laura Murphy to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in the country in February.
Murphy’s work focuses on Uyghurs, a persecuted Muslim minority in China.
A South Yorkshire police spokesperson said the force had referred the investigation on because the “allegations fall under Section 3 of the National Security Act”, the BBC reported.
Section 3 of the act deals with “assisting a foreign intelligence service”. An offence is committed if someone behaves in a way that “intends that conduct to materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out UK-related activities”, or in conduct likely to assist that service.
In October the university apologised and said it was lifting the ban on Murphy’s work on China and forced labour.
A spokesperson for Sheffield Hallam said the decision to halt the academic’s work was “based on our understanding of a complex set of circumstances at the time, including being unable to secure the necessary professional indemnity insurance”.
“Following a review, we have since approved Prof Murphy’s latest research and are committed to supporting her to undertake and disseminate this important work.
“We have apologised to Prof Murphy and wish to make clear our commitment to supporting her research and to securing and promoting freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law.”
The instruction for Murphy to halt her study came six months after the university decided to abandon a planned report on the risk of Uyghur forced labour in the critical minerals supply chain and return the funding associated with that research to the original grantor, Global Rights Compliance, a non-profit law foundation based in The Hague. GRC eventually published the research in June.
The Chinese government has rejected accusations of forced labour, and says that Uyghur work programmes are for poverty alleviation.
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