The Child rights clinic in the University of Malawi’s faculty of law has condemned the racist exploitation and abuse of poor Malawian children by Chinese nationals and the rights clinic has organized protest slated for next week.
This is according to a condemnation press statement released on Tuesday, June 14, signed by Bettie Mlauzi and Comfort Mankhwazi who are the clinic’s outgoing and incoming presidents respectively.
The press statement says the UNIMA Child Rights Clinic is saddened by the documentary released by BBC Africa on 6th June, 2022 which shows some Malawian children being led and filmed by a Chinese man living in Malawi identified as Lu Ke.
The clinic says the acts depicted in the video reveal a violation of Malawi’s constitution which in sections 19(1) and 23(5) enshrines the dignity of everyone and protection from economic exploitation or any treatment, work or punishment that is, or is likely to be hazardous.
Part of the statement wonders why China and Malawi allowed such behaviors when they are both parties to the convention on the rights of the child which binds them to cooperate against the abuse and exploitation of children.
“Members of the UNIMA Child Rights Clinic are appalled at the practice of forcing the children in the video to refer themselves in Chinese as monsters or black devils.
“As we strongly condemn the acts of the Chinese man in the BBC video and others engaged in similar disgusting practices, we also accuse the state of China for breaching its duties to ensure that its national respect the rights of children that are Malawian,” reads part of the statement.
The Clinic has also questioned the exploitative acts to sell such videos online for as much as $10 which they have described as darkly and reprehensible violation of the rights to not only the children whose images are in the videos, but all Malawian children.
Members of the clinic have further asked the Malawi government to ensure that the state of China takes measures to remedy the damage done to the children in the video and to undertake that its nationals will not engage in such racist anymore.
Meanwhile, the clinic has organized a march which is slated for Tuesday 21 June, 2022 from Njewa village in Lilongwe which is one area where children have been exploited and abused by the Chinese nationals.
“The protest march will join the M12 road and proceed to the Chinese embassy in Lilongwe via Kenyatta Road and presidential way. We call on all those who respect child rights to join us during the march in solidarity with Malawi’s poor children.,” reads another part of the statement.
In the said video, some Malawian children were repeating after the Chinese man, Lu Ke, words that have been translated as “I’m a black monster and my IQ is low.” and the children call the man Susu or uncle.
Apart from perpetrating acts of violence and other forms of abuse against these children, the Chinese man is reported to have interfered with their education by filming these kids on school days.
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