Police investigating 'ignorant, arrogant' coronavirus email

Monday, 3 February 2020

Philippines death is first outside China and comes as countries impose strict restrictions on travel from China.

Police are investigating a racist email reportedly sent to a parent saying Asian people are spreading viruses and their children should stay home from school.

The email, sent to Stuff by multiple sources, is being widely circulated in the local Chinese community. It was sent to at least one parent with Chinese ancestry whose child or children attend Rolleston School in Canterbury.

It said 'our Kiwi kids don't want to be in the same class with your disgusting virus spreaders'.

The email was sent in the context of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China. There have been more than 14,500 cases confirmed globally and at least 305 deaths.

* Coronavirus outbreak: Kiwis urged not to let fear turn to racism

* 'No Chinese allowed': Fears that caution over coronavirus may tip into racism**

Rolleston mum-of-two Louisa Lu was one of several people to receive the hateful message.

She grew up in Shanghai but moved to Auckland in 2001. It was the first time she had experienced racism in New Zealand, she said.

'I was shocked when I opened the email.

'It really upset me. I couldn't sleep that night because I was thinking who could have sent it.'

She was unable to reply to the message because the sender's details were blocked.

'Someone knew what they were doing,' she said.

Lu is a preschool teacher and her husband is a builder.

'I have lived in Auckland and Christchurch. We moved to Rolleston in 2017 and we're very happy here.

Travellers wearing face masks leave the arrivals hall at Auckland International Airport.

'I haven't been back to China in six years. I don't know who sent it but you have to stand up to bullies, to show them it's not OK.'

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said the email was 'ignorant and arrogant'. He was aware of other anecdotal reports of xenophobic comments related to the coronavirus outbreak, but said no formal complaints had been made to the Human Rights Commission.

'I think some people are using it as an excuse to express their inner feelings of racism,' Foon said. 'There's no place for these kinds of racist comments in these situations.'

This illustration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Since the outbreak started, there have been media reports of a New Zealand-born doctor being yelled at to 'go back to China', taxi drivers refusing to pick up Chinese tourists, and a Rotorua councillor being racially abused after he spoke out against racism towards Asian people in relation to the virus.

In a statement, a police spokeswoman said police received a report on Sunday about a concerning email regarding coronavirus 'received in the Rolleston area'.

Police had made contact with the person who reported the email, and were making enquiries to find the sender.

'Unlawful, abusive or threatening behaviour targeting another person or group in relation to coronavirus will not be tolerated,' the spokeswoman said.

Rolleston School principal Simon Moriarty said the school was aware police were investigating an email reportedly sent to a parent.

'We celebrate that we are a multicultural community and school, we do not and will not tolerate racist behaviour.'

The school had been providing the local community with information from the ministries of education and health about the coronavirus outbreak.

'At times like this, communities need to come together and support each other,' Moriarty said.

Chinese New Zealand Hubei Association president Yi Liu, who lives in Christchurch, said the email had been widely shared within the Chinese community. It had angered and upset people, he said.

Liu said he was aware of other incidents, including people joking about coronavirus and someone running away from a friend of his in Christchurch after finding out they were Chinese.

However, he thought the email, which was 'anti-Chinese' and 'anti-Asian', was the worst.

University of Canterbury student Serena Han, 25, said she was 'shocked and really angry' when she saw the email shared on WeChat.

Han said the email had been sent to multiple people, but she did not know them personally. She worried the email had been sent by a parent with children at the school, and that it could lead to bullying.

Other community leaders have raised similar concerns about racist comments related to the outbreak.

Speaking last week, Queenstown mayor Jim Boult said he had been made aware of comments on social media 'which borders on racism'. Tour operators had also reported concerning comments to him.

'The racism issue is starting to rear its ugly head in this debate, and what I'm saying is there's no place for that and what we need is cool heads and calmness to address this in a logical way.'

On Sunday, the Government announced strict new temporary travel restrictions barring any foreign travellers who leave or transit through mainland China after February 2 from being able to enter New Zealand.

New Zealand citizens and permanent residents returning to the country will still be able to enter, as will their immediate family members, but will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival back in the country.

Census 2018 data shows almost 248,000 people in New Zealand identify as being one of several Chinese ethnicities.