Student leaders of Taiwan’s universities have called on their government to welcome Hongkongers who are fleeing political oppression or planning to pursue studies on the self-ruled island.

Representatives from the National Students’ Union of Taiwan on Tuesday voiced support for adding a “Hong Kong human rights and democracy clause” to local laws governing the island’s relationship with Hong Kong.

The clause, proposed by the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and other civil society groups, would require the Executive Yuan of the Taiwanese government to annually assess Hong Kong’s human rights and autonomy and change Taiwan’s policies accordingly. It also includes an option for Taiwan to bar entry to mainland Chinese state actors responsible for oppression.

The student union representatives gathered outside the Legislative Yuan and called a press conference. They shouted slogans such as “Support Hong Kong’s youth, political participation is not a crime” and “China is destroying a generation of youth, democratic Taiwan must quickly go to the rescue.”

They urged their government to provide safe immigration channels for Hong Kong protesters going into exile, subject to COVID-19 public health considerations.

Taiwanese authorities should also provide more information for transfer students, so that Hongkongers could choose to continue their education on the island, the group added.

Since 2019, Hong Kong was no longer the city that the Taiwanese people once knew, said Chen Wei-an, leader of the Hong Kong Studies student group at National Taiwan University.

Hong Kong once had a “mythical status” as a bastion of academic freedom, but that was not true anymore, Chen told reporters at the gathering.

Wu Cheng, executive director and spokesperson of Taiwanese Civil Aid to HKers, said that Hong Kong’s recent prosecution of 47 politicians and activists under the national security was an example of Chinese-style rule by law.

“We find [the prosecution] to be very shocking and absurd,” Wu said.

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