From the Christchurch Press:

Racial abuse on the rise
By REBECCA TODD
Monday, 2 July 2007

Being the target of flying missiles from cars and verbal abuse is becoming a fact of life for more Asian people in Christchurch.

Police and the Human Rights Commission say complaints of racial abuse are rising.

The last month has seen a spike in formal complaints, says the commission, although other agencies claim the trend started with negative publicity about cheating Chinese students in February.

Commission race relations adviser Zheela Vokes said she had seen a significant increase in formal complaints in the past month, although she could not provide statistics.

Complaints included racial abuse shouted on the streets, being elbowed, or approached aggressively.

Vokes said the commission was mounting a joint response with police, the Office of Ethnic Affairs and the Christchurch City Council.

Canterbury police Asian liaison officer Constable Rakesh Naidoo said he had also seen a rise in complaints of racial slurs and people throwing eggs and water balloons from cars.

“That type of race hate really alienates the community and makes them feel very fearful and nobody should have that feeling.”

Naidoo advised anyone who suffered a racial attack to get details, such as number plates and descriptions, and contact police.

Canterbury University international student adviser Sarah Beaven said some students claimed abuse had worsened since The Press published articles on cheating by Lincoln students of Chinese ethnicity.

“It seems to be that if negative stories appear about a particular group on the front page that prompts abuse,” she said.

She recommended students take licence-plate numbers and report abuse to police.

Her office had helped two students lay complaints, both before the Press articles were printed in February.

After news of the cheating scandal was reported in China, students were regularly fielding calls from worried parents telling them to stay safe.

Phd student Tina Ban said a friend had eggs thrown at her and was told to “go back to China” outside Riccarton Mall.

“Before they said `Go back to Asia’, now they say `Go back to China’.”

Canterbury University psychology student Aileen Choo made a formal complaint to the Human Rights Commission and police after suffering two instances of racial abuse within a month of arriving in New Zealand.

Choo was shocked at being told to “f… off chink” in broad daylight.

“No-one stopped to help at all, everyone just minded their own business and I was very disappointed with that,” she said.

Originally from Malaysia, Choo has lived in America and Canada and has never experienced a racial attack before.

“Before I came here I didn’t know that racism was at such a level here in Christchurch, so I’m totally shocked and really disappointed.”

Christchurch police development manager, Inspector John Price, said he was aware of such attacks on Asian victims.

“Obviously, it’s a real concern to us.

“It’s a societal and community problem and if a complaint is made we do follow it up and take it very seriously.

“It may only seem to be a water balloon being thrown at someone, but it’s the message behind it,” Price said.

Office of Ethnic Affairs director Mervin Singham said the Christchurch office had seen a rise in reports of racial attacks, but many did not make an official complaint.

“When you are a foreign student or migrant you tend to want to keep things calm and not make waves.”

The president of the newly formed Christchurch Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CCSSA), Jerry Dai, had heard several stories in recent months of people shouting “go back to China” or egging Asian students from cars.

CCSSA Canterbury president William Liu has had a water balloon thrown at him while walking down Riccarton Road.

More recently he was hit over the head with a newspaper while shopping at Church Corner.