华人反歧视活动致各州州长及部分议员公开信

Dear Premiers, Chief Minister and Political leaders,

Australians are currently facing unprecedented difficulties in the face of COVID-19; however, the rising threat of racism toward Australians of Asian descent cannot be ignored.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the community has seen an increasing number of media reports regarding attacks on those of Asian appearance. Asian Australians have been violently attacked on what used to be considered the safe streets of Melbourne, abused and spat on in shops and on public transport – with some even receiving death threats at home, which is supposed to be the safest space for everyone and the last place people expect to be racially harassed. Notably, a Chinese-Australian family in Knoxfield was attacked three times over the course of one week, with one instance involving the message ‘COVID-19 China Die’ being spray painted across their garage. The following morning, a rock was hurled through their window. The family is now living in fear that their assailants might come back at any time.

The cases that have been reported, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, and do not paint the full picture. Victims are often too scared to report incidents to the media or police. In some cases, police disregard evidence of abhorrent racial abuse, simply because there are too many instances – “Just clean the graffiti yourself”, “What can we do?”. Terrified citizens have been left feeling utterly helpless without the support of those who are relied on to protect Australians.

On April 27, the Chinese-Australian community organised an online campaign against racial discrimination. This was not an ordinary petition. People who chose to participate in the protest were required to register before being allowed to spread awareness on their own social media accounts. To reflect the true voice of Chinese Australians, free of foreign influence, we utilised technology to prevent any votes from China. Every person (or device) was only allowed to vote once. People from different cultures and backgrounds who have lived in Australia for over 20, 30 and even 40 years had a chance to cast their vote. In the span of one week, over 25,000 people had signed to oppose racial discrimination, not just against Chinese Australians but against all humans. (Result attached)

We have come together to make our voice heard by the Australian government. We demand:

The government take concrete measures to combat bigotry, not just empty proclamations condemning racism;
Police to register and disclose all reports of racist attacks to give the public a complete and accurate picture of the severity of the situation;
Police to press charges related to racist attacks under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975; and
Politicians to use diplomatic channels for diplomatic issues rather than social media.
Below are a few most common questions people have from Asian Australian community:
What actions will the government take to stop the alarming number of racist attacks in Australia?
How will police enforce anti racial discrimination laws for none life threatening cases?
What avenues, other than police, can victims of racial abuse receive help from?

If you would like to respond to the questions, please send your response [email protected] our volunteers will communicate this to the broader community. We look forward to hear from you.

The growing threat of xenophobia within the community must be addressed.

Now is a better time than ever to remember that the true Australian value of egalitarianism embraces mutual respect and compassion for all.

Respectfully,

A group of ordinary Asian Australians

Attachment: Online PetitionResult