Lawyers for student Drew Pavlou demand University of Queensland sack Chinese diplomat from role
Lawyers for a student activist have lodged a formal complaint demanding the University of Queensland dismiss the Chinese consul-general in Brisbane from an adjunct professor position, over comments “praising violence” against peaceful campus protesters.
The call to sack the diplomat, Xu Jie, from the honorary university position relates to a public statement he made 11 months ago affirming the “self-motivated patriotic behaviour” of a pro-Beijing group that sparked a physical clash with Hong Kong democracy protesters on campus.
The UQ chancellor, Peter Varghese, offered a belated condemnation of those comments last week in an interview with Guardian Australia, and said that any statement that endorsed violence on campus would be in breach of the university’s code of conduct.
Xu was last year made an adjunct professor in the university’s school of languages and cultures.
A student attacked during the June protest, Drew Pavlou, now faces expulsion from the university in relation to his provocative activism, which has become focused on the university’s relationship with China.
Pavlou has sought to draw comparison to the fact he faces a disciplinary investigation – mostly in relation to satirical stunts and allegedly offensive and discriminatory comments – but that Xu has not been disciplined or sacked by UQ for comments that endorsed violence on campus.
After reading Varghese’s comments to the Guardian – which included saying the university would not in future offer foreign officials honorary academic positions – Pavlou’s lawyer Mark Tarrant has written to the university demanding Xu’s post be rescinded.
Tarrant told Guardian Australia the code could be applied to Xu, regardless of whether his comments were made in an academic or diplomatic capacity.
He said Pavlou had received death threats against himself and his family and linked these threats to Xu’s statement, which called Hong Kong democracy protesters “anti-China separatists” – a capital crime in China.
“Dr Xu Jie’s documented serious … conduct has resulted in multiple breaches of the [Queensland] Public Sector Ethics Act and the University of Queensland code of conduct,” the letter from Tarrant alleges.
“Dr Xu Jie’s inflammatory statement of 25 July 2019 praising and inciting violence against peaceful University of Queensland student protestors meets the definition of ‘serious misconduct’ as defined by ... Fair Work regulations.”
Tarrant is representing Pavlou in a police complaint and court action seeking an order against Xu. The student is seeking an order, similar to a restraining order, against the foreign official, who he claims endangered him. The case is ongoing.
The university did not respond to questions about whether it would instigate any process in relation to the new complaint about Xu.
In response to questions last week about what action it had taken in relation to Xu’s comments, a spokeswoman for UQ said that the ban on foreign officials being awarded honorary academic positions would also mean that existing appointments would not be extended. Xu’s appointment is understood to expire in 2021.
UQ’s justification for bringing disciplinary proceedings against Pavlou is that it was acting in due process in response to complaints by students, who alleged his conduct was discriminatory, bullying and aggressive.
One such complainant contacted Guardian Australia yesterday and said he had taken issue with a stunt by Pavlou, where the activist had labelled the university’s Confucius Institute a coronavirus biohazard zone.
“While probably not intending to be racist, [the stunt was] part of the slipping taboo and shifting sensibilities on anti-Chinese racism,” he said.
“I believe the Asian-Australian community deserves better, especially given the large increase in attacks they’ve experienced from the Covid crisis.”
Xu and the Chinese consulate have been contacted but did not respond.