Professor Cheryl de la Rey
Vice-Chancellor
University of Canterbury
New Zealand

COPY TO:
Professor Ian Wright
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research
University of Canterbury
New Zealand

Dear Professor de la Rey,

We are international colleagues of Professor Anne-Marie Brady who we know as a distinguished scholar at the University of Canterbury and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Her ground-breaking research on the United Front work of the Chinese Communist Party has had a profound impact internationally based as it is on meticulous research and her analytical insights over 20 years of scholarship in this area.

Professor Anne-Marie Brady’s work has had a far reaching impact on public and policy discussions globally, which is why we were dismayed to read Martin Van Beynen’s report in Stuff entitled “Canterbury Uni orders review into publication by China expert Anne-Marie Brady”. All of us are familiar with Professor Brady’s superb report “Holding a Pen in One Hand, Gripping a Gun in the Other” that was submitted to the New Zealand Parliament’s Justice Select Committee this past July. We are shocked to read that your Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Wright, gave a statement to the press confirming that the University was entertaining the complaints, and giving them currency by explaining that they allege that the paper contains “manifest errors of fact and misleading inferences.”

We, who know this area, can see no manifest errors or misleading inferences based on the evidenced material provided in the report. The paper does not make “inferences.” People who study it may draw some, but that does not mean the paper made them, misleading or otherwise. Since Professor Wright publicly voiced the allegations a group of us peers again went through Professor Brady’s Parliamentary submission. We find in it no basis for the allegations. Some of the links in its comprehensive sourcing have gone stale since she submitted it but those URLs all still work if put into Wayback or archive.today.

We are disappointed to see no prompt follow-up, explanation or clarification of the University’s position concerning the allegations. The impression left by that published report should have been corrected to show that the University did not intend any endorsement of the complaints, nor an approval or acceptance of complaints to the University as the appropriate way to criticise academic work. The silence has been interpreted as collaboration in slander against a very distinguished scholar whose work has been consistently based on sound social scientific methodology.

We would have expected you to stand up for your university, the right of any of its members to publish their research freely, however contentious, and for Professor Brady as a brave colleague. She has been the target of a harassment campaign and threatening menace because of the serious implications of her important research.

We ask that you issue a prompt and full apology to Professor Brady on behalf of the University of Canterbury for not rejecting the complaints against Professor Brady and instead referring the complainants to the normal way of disagreeing with a paper – publishing their criticism. Professor Wright should publicly apologise for allowing his statement to give credence to the complaints, whether or not he intended that.

We know of no valid basis for any “review” of Professor Brady’s work other than by her peers and other researchers and commentators, as is normal for academic research and publication. That will and should include informed criticism as and if grounds emerge. Her publications are subject to peer review. They have brought great international credit to your University. You risk destroying that credit, to leave it with her alone.

SIGNED:

1. Aaron L. Friedberg, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University, USA

2. Adrian Zenz, Senior Fellow in China Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, USA

3. Aki Tonami, Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba, Japan

4. Alexander Maxwell, Senior Lecturer in History, Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand

5. Amanda Black, Associate Professor, Lincoln University, NZ

6. Anders Corr, Principal, Corr Analytics, USA

7. Andre Laliberté, Professor, University of Ottawa, Canada

8. Andréa Worden, Non-resident research fellow, Sinopsis, U.S.

9. Andreas Fulda, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham, UK

10. Andrew Nathan, Professor, Columbia University, USA

11. Anita Chan, Visiting retired professor, Australian National University, Australia

12. Anna Zádrapová, Analyst at Red Watch Program, European Values Centre for Security Policy, CZ

13. Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania

14. Barbara Hartley, Independent Researcher, Australia

15. Barrett L. McCormick, Marquette University, USA

16. Benedict Rogers, Chief executive And Founder of Hong Kong Watch and Deputy Chair UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, UK

17. Bradley Thayer, Professor, University of Texas San Antonio, USA

18. Casper Wits, University Lecturer East Asia Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands

19. Catherine Churchman, Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

20. Clive Hamilton, Professor of Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia

21. Consiglio Di Nino, former Senate of Canada senator, CA

22. Daisy Lee, Correspondent, Epoch Times, NZ and HK

23. David Schak, Nathan campus, Griffith University, AU

24. Dean Baxendale, President and Publisher of Optimum Publishing International, CA

25. Demetrius Cox, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy (Retired), USA

26. Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Senior Fellow at Asia Program at DGAP, Senior Fellow at Sinopsis, DE

27. Ding Qiang, NZ Values Alliance, NZ

28. Donald Clarke, Professor, George Washington University, USA

29. Dong Luobin, NZ Values Alliance, NZ

30. Dorothy J. Solinger, Professor, Emerita, UC Irvine, USA

31. Edward Friedman, Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin, USA

32. Edward Lucas, Senior Vice President, Center for European Policy Analaysis, UK

33. Elizabeth Economy, Senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, USA

34. Eske Møllgaard, Department of Philosophy, University of Rhode Island, USA

35. Feng Chongyi, Associate Professor. University of Technology Sydney, Australia

36. Freeman Yu, Secretary General, NZ Values Alliance, NZ

37. Gary Chisholm, NZ

38. Geremie R. Barmé, Professor Emeritus, Australian National University, Australia

39. Gerrit van der Wees, Adjunct Faculty, George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, United States

40. Gerry Groot, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies, Department of Asian Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia

41. Gill H. Boehringer, Hon. Senior Research Fellow, Macquarie University Law School, Sydney, Australia

42. Greg Newbold, Professor Emeritus, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

43. Gregor Benton, Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University, Wales, UK

44. Harlan W. Jencks, University of California/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Retired), USA

45. Harold Bockman, Emeritus Professor, University of Oslo, Norway

46. Charles Burton, Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute & European Values Center for Security Policy, CA

47. Charles Parton, Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute, UK

48. Chen Weijian, Editor and Correspondent, Beijing Spring, NZ

49. Clare Curran, MP for Dunedin South, NZ

50. Christopher Balding, Independent Scholar, USA

51. Christopher R Hughes, Professor, London School of Economics, UK

52. Christopher Walker, Vice President for Studies and Analysis, National Endowment for Democracy, USA

53. J. Michael Cole, Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute & Senior Fellow, Global Taiwan Institute, CA

54. James D. Seymour, Chinese University of Hong Kong

55. James Leibold, Associate Professor and Head of Department, La Trobe University, Australia

56. Jamil Anderlini, Asia Editor, Financial Times, Hong Kong

57. Jane Verbitsky, Associate Professor, AUT, New Zealand

58. Jenny Chan, Assistant Professor of Sociology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

59. Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor, USA

60. Jerome A. Cohen, Faculty Director Emeritus, US-Asia Law Institute, NYU Law School, USA

61. Jiang Chaoyang, NZ Values Alliance, NZ

62. Joanne Smith Finley, Reader in Chinese Studies, Newcastle University, UK

63. Joey Siu, External Vice President, City University of Hong Kong Students Union, Hong Kong

64. John Dotson, Editor, China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, USA

65. John Fitzgerald, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

66. John Hemmings, Associate Professor, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, USA

67. John Minford, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University, Australia

68. Jonathan Hassid, Iowa State University, USA

69. Jonathan Mirsky, former editor, Times of London, UK

70. Joseph Bosco, Former China Country Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense, USA

71. Josephine Chiu-Duke, Professor, University of British Columbia, CA

72. Julian Snelder, Director, Amiya Capital, NZ

73. June Teufel Dreyer, Professor, University of Miami, USA

74. Karin Kinzelbach, Professor, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

75. Katerina Procházková, Sinopsis, CZ

76. Kerry Gershaneck, Professor, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

77. Kevin Carrico, Senior Lecturer, Monash University, Australia

78. Kevin McCready, Translator, former Australian Government Economist, New Zealand

79. Kimberley Kitching, Senator for Victoria, Australian Senate, Australia

80. Kingsley Edney, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations of China, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

81. Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, USA

82. Lesley Seebeck, CEO Cyber Institute, ANU, Australia

83. Louisa Greve, Director of Global Advocacy, Uyghur Human Rights Project, United States

84. Louisa Wall, MP, NZ Parliament, NZ

85. Lukáš Zádrapa, Head of Department of Sinology, Charles University, Czech Republic

86. Luke de Pulford, Coordinator of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, UK

87. Magnus Fiskesjö, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University, USA

88. Mareike Ohlberg, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund, DE

89. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, Senior Fellow, China Institute, University of Alberta, CA

90. Mark Selden, Senior Research Associate, East Asia Program, Cornell University, Managing Editor, The Asia-Pacific Journal, USA

91. Martin Flaherty, Visiting Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

92. Martin Hála, Director, Sinopsis, CZ

93. Mary Farquhar, Professor Emeritus, Griffith University, Australia

94. Michael Barr, FAHA; Associate Professor in International Relations (Academic Status), Flinders University, Australia

95. Michael Dillon, China specialist, Formerly Director, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Durham

96. Michael Yahuda, Professor Emeritus of the London School of Economics and Political Science, currently Visiting Scholar the George Washington University, Washington DC, USA

97. Michelle Mood, Assistant Professor, Kenyon College, USA

98. Nicky Hager, Independent Journalist and Author, NZ

99. Olga Lomova, Director of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation International Sinological Center at Charles University, Prague

100. Ondřej Klimeš, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ

101. Peter Dahlin, Director, Safeguard Defenders, Spain/China

102. Peter Hartcher, Political and International Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

103. Peter Humphrey, External Research Affiliate, Harvard University Fairbank Center, United States. External Research Affiliate, King’s College London, Lau Institute, United Kingdom

104. Richard Kraemer, Board President, US-Europe Alliance, USA

105. Richard Louis Edmonds, Former editor, The China Quarterly, FR

106. Robert Horvath, Senior Lecturer, La Trobe University, Australia

107. Robert Porter, Cyber-Security Fellow, CRS, Tama University, Japan

108. Roger Garside, Former British diplomat, United Kingdom

109. Ruan Ji, Lecturer, AUT, NZ

110. Sam Armstrong, Director of Communications, Henry Jackson Society, UK

111. Sandrine Emmanuelle Catris, Assistant Professor of History, Augusta University, United States

112. Shaun O’Dwyer, Associate Professor, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Kyushu University, Japan

113. Shelley Rigger, Brown Professor of Political Science, Davidson College

114. Simon Chapple, Director, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

115. Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, Professor, Lincoln University, UK

116. Stephen Blank, Senior Fellow. Foreign Policy Research Institute

117. Steven I. Levine, Faculty Research Associate, University of Montana, USA

118. Steven W. Mosher, President, Population Research Institute, USA

119. Stuart Russell, Professor, Macquarie University School of Law, Australia (retired)

120. Teng Biao, Grove Human Rights Scholar, Hunter College, USA

121. Terence Russell, Senior Scholar, University of Manitoba, Canada

122. Thierry Kellner, Professor, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

123. Thomas G. Mahnken, Senior Research Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, USA

124. Thomas Chase, Lecturer, Monash University, Australia

125. Toby Dalley, Independent Scholar, NZ

126. Tom Grunfeld, Emeritus Distinguished Teaching Professor, SUNY, USA

127. Tom Sear, Industry Fellow, University of New South Wales, Australia

128. Valerie Niquet, Senior Research Fellow, Fondation pour le RéchercheStratégique, France

129. Vanessa Frangville, Professor, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

130. Victor H. Mair, Professor, Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences

131. Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame, USA

132. William A. Callahan, London School of Economics, UK

133. Yaxue Cao, Founder and Editor, China Change, United States