AFTER three murders of Indian and Asian people over 10 days, Manukau’s Asian community is distraught at the level of violence and demanding heavier penalties on crime.
Some may even be reassessing their decision to live in Manukau and New Zealand.
Rosa Chow, chairwoman of the Asian Council on Reducing Crime, says Asian residents are getting very concerned.
“They’re angry about what society has turned into,” says Ms Chow. “And about us being helpless.”
She says while her organisation and others are educating people to protect themselves with some recent successes, laws and penalties are not sufficient to deter criminals.
Portia Mao, a Howick resident and NZ Chinese Herald reporter, says the reaction and debate among the Chinese community right now is “huge”.
“People are talking about having a rally and a petition to take to parliament to reinforce the law,” says Ms Mao.
She says the Chinese Herald is looking at organising such a petition, while Chinese radio talk back is full of opinion in favour of a zero tolerance approach to crime.
Other news agencies are reporting potential vigilante groups maybe starting up within Asian communities that are tired of being targets.
With the Manurewa house invasion killing of 80-year-old Yang Yin Ping last week, Ms Chow says even staying home does not seem safe enough.
After reports that some Manurewa residents are considering moving out of the suburb, she says for others it may go further.
Many Asians who have moved to New Zealand in part because it’s seen as a safe country may now be rethinking their choice.
“It’s not [safe] anymore,” says Ms Chow. “We wonder what we can do.”
However, Ms Chow says improved awareness at one eastern suburbs shopping centre in recent months has seriously reduced bag snatching incidents. She says the present situation demands more vigilance, but beyond that “there’s very little we can achieve”.
She does not think the attacks are racially motivated, saying Asians are targeted for their vulnerability.
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