In a recent development, a university in the UK has reportedly bowed to intimidation and pressure from the Chinese authorities, leading to the halt of research on human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the abandonment of the publication of crucial research projects.
According to an exclusive report from The Guardian on November 3, Professor Laura Murphy of the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University was ordered to stop her research on issues related to China’s supply chain and forced labor in February.
Professor Murphy’s research primarily focused on the persecution of Uyghur people and forced labor issues, with her findings widely cited by Western governments and the United Nations, influencing international supply chain policies.
For years, the CCP has denied allegations of forced labor, claiming that programs involving Uyghur labor are poverty alleviation measures.
The university in the UK had previously praised Professor Murphy’s work as “groundbreaking,” but in February, she was instructed to cease her research on human rights issues. The “Forced Labour Lab” website operated by Murphy was subsequently shut down, and some reports were relocated to more discreet locations within the archives.
Reports indicate that the decision made by the UK university stemmed from multiple pressures. In the summer of 2022, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian labeled the Helena Kennedy Centre as a “vanguard of anti-China forces,” and Lady Kennedy herself faced sanctions from Beijing due to criticisms of the CCP’s human rights record.
Simultaneously, the university’s website was blocked in China, impacting its recruitment for the 2023-2024 academic year. An employee of the university wrote in July, “Maintaining business with Chinese students and releasing research reports from HKC can no longer go hand in hand.”
The UK university stated that the halt in Professor Murphy’s research was due to two reasons: the safety threats faced by their staff working in China and the refusal of insurance providers to cover the HKC due to defamation lawsuits filed by CCP-affiliated companies. The lawsuit is still ongoing.
In April 2024, three CCP security officials visited the Beijing office of Sheffield Hallam University, questioning staff for two hours. An internal summary revealed “their tone was highly threatening, explicitly demanding the cessation of (human rights) research.”
In September, the university informed the CCP security department that they would no longer publish the final stage research on forced labor issues. Subsequently, the relationship improved immediately, and the threats to the staff were lifted.
At that time, Professor Murphy was on leave, assisting the US government in drafting legislation to implement a ban on imports of goods from Xinjiang. Upon her return, Professor Sital Dhillon, the director of the HKC, informed her that she could no longer continue her research on Chinese human rights issues.
In 2021, Dhillon had praised Murphy’s work for “highlighting the blatant infringement of Uyghur human rights by China (CCP).”
Six months ago, the university had already relinquished the publication of the “Report on Risks of Forced Labor in the Key Minerals Supply Chain,” refunding the funds to the Netherlands-based international human rights law organization Global Rights Compliance (GRC).
Lara Strangways, the head of GRC, expressed concern over Sheffield Hallam University’s decision not to publish this research, as GRC self-published the report in June.
Professor Murphy accused the university of “exchanging academic freedom for access to the Chinese (CCP) student market,” but the university denied having commercial motives in their decision. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the university had only 73 Chinese students, accounting for 1.7% of international students.
Following Murphy’s threat of legal action, the university lifted the research ban in October and apologized to her. However, she remains cautious, stating, “It is unclear whether the university will continue to support such research as before.”
Murphy’s lawyer, Claire Powell, noted that this case has raised widespread concerns about academic freedom at UK universities.
Academic freedom expert James Murray commented that prohibiting research work due to legal risks is “highly damaging and a serious threat to academic freedom.”
A spokesperson for the UK Office for Students (OfS) also expressed disapproval, stating, “Suppressing research due to discontent from foreign governments is entirely unacceptable.”
A UK government spokesperson highlighted, “Foreign intimidation of UK individuals will not be tolerated, and we have made our stance clear to Beijing.” The government will address such activities in accordance with the National Security Law.
According to reports from the BBC and The Guardian, this case has been referred to the counter-terrorism department of the South Yorkshire Police. The charges involve aiding a foreign intelligence agency under Article 3 of the National Security Law.
Internal documents of this case revealed that CCP security personnel threatened the university’s staff in China and demanded the closure of Murphy’s research in Sheffield. After the university pledged not to publish the final stage research reports, the CCP’s “threats were lifted.”