We are a group of undergraduate and graduate students who are studying at U.S. colleges and are concerned about the recent Hong Kong Police Force’s (HKPF) ongoing assaults against University campuses in Hong Kong.

On November 11th, under the pretext that some students were attempting to obstruct highways and railways near college campuses, the HKPF launched systematic and brutal assaults against students and academics on multiple University campuses. More alarmingly, on November 12th, the HKPF entered The Chinese University of Hong Kong without a warrant and fired water cannon and thousands of tear gas bombs and rubber bullets at students, faculty members, school administrators, and even the vice-chancellor of the University.  

We see these acts of aggression as politically-motivated acts on the side of the Hong Kong government to curb academic freedom and freedom of assembly, as well as freedom of expression. We, as college students, believe that school campuses are indispensable spaces for academic discussions and expressions that should not be infringed upon. Furthermore, we are worried about the physical safety of international students studying in Hong Kong and the psychological and academic needs of Hong Kong students studying in the United States.

We thereby urge that:

1. School administrators communicate with the respective universities in Hong Kong with which the school collaborates on some capacity, whether there is an exchange program or academic relations in between, in carrying out crisis measures for the security of their students in Hong Kong;
2. The office of international students express their concerns about the situation to the U.S. embassy;
3. The relevant departments inform themselves of the situation and provide appropriate and effective assistance for Hong Kong students on their campus regarding their mental health, academic needs and visa support when needed;
4. The relevant departments meet with affected students so as to make sure they are aware of the available campus resources and learn if they have other needs or demands;
5. The school to issue a public statement to indicate the particular responses they will make to address the issues listed above.

As of now, we have gotten 187 students' signatures out of our goal of 300 students.

You can read more reports on this issue by the Hong Kong Free Press (https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/11/12/hong-kong-police-protesters-battle-night-cuhk-campus-university-head-among-tear-gassed/) and University World News (https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20191112165359859).

Inquiry contact: Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley (Telegram: @sevenpo_dllm) or Frances Hui (Telegram: @hkeggwaffles)