Oxfam calls halt after 'warning'

Oxfam Hong Kong is suspending a programme to train volunteers from mainland universities until it receives clarification about a notice, apparently issued by the Ministry of Education, which calls the charity 'ill- intentioned' and warns students to avoid dealings with it.

The notice, posted on some university websites but apparently directed at all mainland students, says Oxfam Hong Kong is 'an organisation that has been trying hard to infiltrate mainland China, with its head being a key member of the opposition camp'. (The reference may also be to its heads being key members of the camp). The notice came to public attention in mainland internet chat rooms on Monday.

Oxfam Hong Kong said at a news conference yesterday that it became aware of the notice on Saturday and had since written to the Ministry of Education - apparently the source of the notice - but was still awaiting clarification.

The notice was posted in full on the website of Minzu University in Beijing. By yesterday it had been removed from the site. Summaries of the notice seen previously on the websites of two other universities have also been removed.

Because of the Lunar New Year holiday, none of the universities could be reached for comment. The Ministry of Education has yet to respond to questions about the notice or to confirm it issued it.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular briefing yesterday that he was not aware of the notice. He said that, while international non-governmental organisations were welcome on the mainland, '[We] ask them to follow the law and regulations of China'.

Howard Liu Hung-to, China unit director of Oxfam Hong Kong, said the charity would like to know whether the notice was really issued by the ministry and if so, why.