Outspoken student CCP critic Drew Pavlou debuts political party aiming for federal, senate seats

A student human rights activist, well-known for his criticism of China’s communist government, has revealed his political team vying for seats at the next election.

A human rights activist well-known for his vociferous criticism of the Chinese Communist Party has debuted his new parliamentary team of Chinese-persecuted candidates, as the party aims for ambitious gains in parliament and the senate.

Outspoken University of Queensland student Drew Pavlou announced on Wednesday his new party – comprised of Uyghur, Hong Kong and Tibetan candidates – would run for senate seats in South Australia and NSW and in the federal seats of Sturt and Chisholm.

Outspoken student CCP critic Drew Pavlou announcing his party's candidates for federal and senate seats at the next election.

Mr Pavlou himself, who recently returned to his studies at UQ following a controversial two-year suspension, will run as a senate candidate in Queensland.

The launch was flanked by security guards and Tibetan monks who blessed the party.

Speaking to NCA NewsWire, Mr Pavlou said his party’s candidates had direct experience of being persecuted by China’s communist regime.

Just days ago he revealed an advertising company refused to run his party’s material out of “fear of retaliation”.

Max Mok, the party’s Chisholm candidate, was a “front line militant” in Hong Kong who lost friends to “torture and murder at the hands of the Chinese secret police”.

The party’s NSW senate candidate, Kyinzom Dhongdue, has worked as a human rights campaigner for nearly 15 years.

Mr Pavlou has been the target of controversy over his outspoken remarks on China’s ruling communist party and the human rights abuses under the government’s watch.

Mr Pavlou said Adila Yarmuhammad and Inty Elham – who are running for the South Australian senate seat and the seat of Sturt respectively – were both Uyghur Australians who escaped potential persecution at the hands of Chinese authorities.

“What sets us apart from parliament is we’re multicultural and have authenticity,” he said.

“Most politicians in parliament don’t want to lose donors or trade with China … we have no big financial backers and don’t take donations from people with known links to Chinese parties.”

According to its website, the Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance pledges to recognise the genocide of Uyghur and Tibetans and support their self-determinations.

One of the party’s major policies is to sanction “genocidal” Chinese officials and support Hong Kong’s democracy.

Mr Pavlou’s new party, targeting senate and federal seats at the next election, is comprised of people who have experienced persecution at the hands of the CCP.

Other policies include imposing a federal anti-corruption watchdog, raising the Newstart rate and investing in “green manufacturing” and renewables.

Mr Pavlou attracted media attention after he was suspended from UQ following a disciplinary hearing into allegations of misconduct, which he claimed was due to his criticism of the university’s close ties with Beijing and his protests of human rights abuses under CCP president Xi Jinping’s rule.

UQ has denied its action was due to Mr Pavlou’s public statements.

He returned to the campus after the original two-year suspension was reduced to six months.

Mr Pavlou said Australia’s current situation with China was “worse than what people think”, bemoaning how current politicians were unwilling to cut dies with Chinese donors.

“We’re saying to China that we don’t want them to be our closest trading partner while people are in concentration camps,” he told NCA NewsWire.

“(Our parliament) barely speaks for the human rights abuses currently going on.”

Originally published as Outspoken student CCP critic Drew Pavlou debuts political party aiming for federal, senate seats