Students call for human rights speaker on campus

Media Release – 9 October 2009 – For Immediate Use
 

Students call for University to allow human rights speaker on campus
 

Auckland University student leaders are dismayed today at the University of Auckland’s decision to stop human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer from holding a public meeting on campus next week, and are calling on the University of Auckland to uphold its role as the ‘critic and conscience of society.

Uighur human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer has been issued a visa to visit New Zealand and was invited to speak at the University by AUSA affiliated club Greens on Campus, but has been told that she will not be welcome at the University of Auckland due to ‘security concerns’.

“Universities have a clear role in New Zealand to act as the ‘critic and conscience of society’, and comes at certain costs. It is absolutely disgraceful that the University of Auckland is unwilling to provide the necessary security to support Ms Kadeer,” said Darcy Peacock, President of the Auckland University Students’ Association. “The University and the Students’ Association have hosted many controversial speakers over their long history, and the fact that some people might disagree with a speaker is no excuse to prevent them from visiting our campus”.

“The sorry state of tertiary education funding in New Zealand means that the University relies heavily on the export education market in countries such as China, due to underfunding by central Government. It is a shame that the reliance on these international markets comes with a cost to freedom of speech” said Peacock.

“AUSA calls on the University of Auckland to retract this decision and allow Rebiya Kadeer to speak at the University,” concluded Peacock.

ENDS