To the Administration of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC),

We, the undersigned members of the UIUC community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and concerned citizens, hereby petition for the immediate banning of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) as a recognized student organization at UIUC.

The CSSA has demonstrated a pattern of behavior that is antithetical to the values of our university community and poses a threat to academic freedom, student safety, and campus diversity. Numerous incidents have been reported involving CSSA members engaging in harassment, intimidation, and discrimination against individuals who hold differing political beliefs or express support for human rights causes, particularly those related to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

The CSSA's actions have created a hostile environment on campus, where students, faculty, and staff feel unsafe expressing their opinions freely or participating in academic and extracurricular activities without fear of retaliation. This goes against the principles of inclusivity, diversity, and intellectual exchange that are fundamental to the mission of UIUC.

Furthermore, the CSSA has been known to operate as an arm of the Chinese government, promoting propaganda and censoring discussions that are critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This interference in academic discourse undermines the academic integrity of our institution and compromises our commitment to free inquiry and open debate.

Therefore, we call on the administration of UIUC to take immediate action to ban the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) as a recognized student organization on campus. This decision is necessary to uphold the values of academic freedom, diversity, and inclusion, and to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all members of the UIUC community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Concerned students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members