... and an update 12-11-18 on the update. A senior US official offers intelligence agency cooperation on Chinese interference in New Zealand, citing in particular the Anne-Marie Brady incidents. And a closed circuit camera is now in her office, which was broken into after publication of her research on CCP influence in New Zealand. No word about protection for her home, her car, or her person.
Back in September, I wrote about threats and break-ins directed at Anne-Marie Brady, a New Zealand scholar who has written about CCP influence in foreign affairs. Her recent work is titled Magic Weapons - China's political influence activities under Xi Jinping, an investigation of United Front activities such as media and university partnerships, "management" of overseas Chinese, and multimedia communications strategies to influence and co-opt foreign citizens and Chinese outside China.
Brady's office has been broken into twice, her home once, and her car burglarized. Chinese media has attacked her, and there is no rationale for these attacks other than by persons hired by the Chinese government to intimidate. The September piece is Intimidation Knows No Boundaries. Brady has asked for protection for her person and property, and the New Zealand government has done nothing, with approval from Chinese media.
Now an open letter to the New Zealand government has been prepared, requesting protection for Brady and support for open inquiry. Brady is by no means the only scholar to face harassment or intimidation outside China, for their work on China. From SupChina, Thursday, December 6 -
In October, Index on Censorship reported that “anonymous, threatening letters” were sent to residential addresses in the U.K., apparently with the aim of stopping “activities that the Chinese government disapproves of.” Recipients included family members of Tom Grundy, editor of Hong Kong Free Press.
The open letter is here. Quoting -
These circumstances make it likely that this harassment campaign constitutes a response to her research on the CCP's influence and an attempt to intimidate her into silence.
Radio New Zealand has reported on the issue, and the letter.
I have signed the letter. Most everyone on the signature list is a better known journalist or scholar than I, but no one seems to have listed an affiliation inside China. We will see what happens.
