KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter has called on the Federal Government to take steps to close all Confucius Institutes at Australian universities immediately, following a damning report by Human Rights Watch (HRW)that found “pro-democracy” students from mainland China and Hong Kong and their families, had been punished or harassed by Chinese police for comments they made while studying in Australia.

Mr Katter said Australia’s leaders had to stand up on the issue of foreign influence at universities.

“Good fences make for good neighbours, and I think the less interface we have with the totalitarian, dictatorial Chinese regime the better,” he said.

 “We should immediately remove Confucius Institutes from our universities, which are clearly a leverage for the Chinese regime to have its way on our campuses and to exert influence over students.”

The HRW study of 24 “pro-democracy” students from mainland China and Hong Kong, and 22 academics at Australian universities verified three cases of students in which the police in China visited or asked to meet with their families regarding the student’s activities in Australia.

 One student was threatened with jail for opening a Twitter account and posting pro-democracy messages, when in Australia. While another pro-democracy student had their passport confiscated by Chinese authorities when they returned home for comments made at an Australian uni. 

Mr Katter said the Federal Government had to consider following what Prime Minister, Bob Hakwe, did after the Tiananmen Square massacre, by offering pro-democracy Chinese-mainland and Hong Kong students’ Australian citizenship.

“There could be a big down-side, but it may be the option the Government has to take to protect these students. It should happen instantaneously with the Uighur people too,” he said.

 “But I wouldn’t count on this Government acting quickly on Confucius Institutes or the students either. There’s been no action on the Port of Darwin, there’s been no action on the China-owned, Global Switch in control of our sensitive defence data, and there’s been no action on the $29B in trade punishment we are taking off an international bully. There’s been no action at all to defend our nation or to populate the inland of Australia. It’s a continuation of the non-government that has plagued Australia.”