HRC Responses - a good start but not enough!

jerrygarry

Anti-Chinese community leaflets and social media postings

Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy says she and the Human Rights Commission will work with the New Zealand Police and other agencies to provide assurance to communities upset by the distribution of material that targets the New Zealand Chinese community.

The Human Rights Commission has been contacted by a number of people about offensive material about Chinese and Jewish people left in their mailboxes. There have also been objectionable posts on blog sites.

Dame Susan said, ”Who wouldn’t feel threatened by this kind of material? It presents a hateful view of law abiding people. It is unfair and based on ignorance, intolerance and prejudice.”

The Human Rights Act requires the Commission to balance the right to protection from racial hatred with the right to freedom of expression.  It also provides that Commissioners must not involve themselves in individual unlawful discrimination complaints. Unlawful discrimination complaints are therefore dealt with by the Commission’s enquiries and complaints team.

The Commission’s enquiries and complaints team considers that  the complaints  the Commission  has received about leaflets and blog sites do not meet the threshold for  unlawful discrimination as defined in the Human Rights Act and that there has not been a breach of section 61 which relates to inciting racial disharmony.  New Zealand has set a high bar in balancing freedom of expression over banning what many would consider hate speech.

The  Commission’s response is therefore to speak  up for and support people facing racial hostility and find  ways to respond to activity that has a negative effect on race relations. Race Relations Commissioner, Dame Susan Devoy  will  be coordinating a series of actions by the Human Rights Commission:

liaising with the New Zealand Police to monitor the activity
working with communities to provide assurance that the Police would protect them
working with Netsafe on a response for social media site on material that breaches acceptable use policies
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy intends to meet with the affected communities.
While the complaints might not meet the threshold for unlawful discrimination or  inciting racial disharmony, Dame Susan encourages people affected to continue to contact the Commission. This would help the Commission to monitor the extent of the activity as it continued to liaise with the New Zealand Police.

This is media statement is available in Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese:

http://www.hrc.co.nz/2013/anti-c ... cial-media-postings

assel

一共收到HRC三封回信。
其中一封如LS：
1st, May 2013
Dear XXX,
We thank you for your email received by the Human Rights Commission.

The Human Rights Commission recognises the concern and upset this material has caused yourself and others. The Commission has been contacted by a number of people regarding offensive material about Chinese and Jewish people left in their mailboxes. There have also been objectionable posts on blog sites.

Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy says she and the Commission will work with the New Zealand Police and other agencies to provide assurance to communities upset by the distribution of material that targets the New Zealand Chinese community.

Dame Susan said, “Who wouldn’t feel threatened by this kind of material? It presents a hateful view of law abiding people. It is unfair and based on ignorance, intolerance and prejudice.”

The Human Rights Act requires the Commission to balance the right to protection from racial hatred with the right to freedom of expression. It also requires that Commissioners do not have direct involvement in individual unlawful discrimination complaints which are dealt with by the Commission’s enquiries and complaints team.

That team considers that the complaints received about leaflets and blog sites do not meet the threshold for unlawful discrimination as defined in the Human Rights Act and that there has not been a breach of section 61 which relates to inciting racial disharmony. New Zealand has set a high bar in balancing freedom of expression over banning what many would consider hate speech.

The Commission’s response is therefore to speak up for and support people facing racial hostility and find ways to respond to activity that has a negative effect on race relations. Race Relations Commissioner, Dame Susan Devoy will be coordinating a series of actions by the Human Rights Commission:
•liaising with the New Zealand Police to monitor the activity
•working with communities to provide assurance that the Police would protect them
•working with Netsafe on a response for social media site on material that breaches acceptable use policies
•the Race Relations Commissioner intends to meet with the affected communities.

While your complaint might not meet the threshold for unlawful discrimination or inciting racial disharmony, the Commission thanks you for having made your concern known to us. Dame Susan encourages other people affected to continue to contact the Commission. This will help the Commission to monitor the extent of the activity as it continues to liaise with the New Zealand Police.

Yours sincerely

Maxine Aoina
Team Leader, Infoline

assel

工作中发现，华人不如其它一些少数族裔团结，比如菲律宾同事们就非常团结，这种一盘散沙的局面令人失望。
不知是这种现象局限于我的工作场所还是代表整个新西兰华人圈子？

我会空手套白狼

assel 发表于 2013-5-1 20:32
工作中发现，华人不如其它一些少数族裔团结，比如菲律宾同事们就非常团结，这种一盘散沙的局面令人失望。
...

艾玛，不敢想象13亿的人如果团结起来，会有什么后果，统一天下？

Enspiren

assel 发表于 2013-5-1 20:32
工作中发现，华人不如其它一些少数族裔团结，比如菲律宾同事们就非常团结，这种一盘散沙的局面令人失望。
...

不团结是华人的特点之一。