African Envoys in Beijing Protest Maltreatment of African Nationals in China over COVID-19
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The African Group of Ambassadors in Beijing has strongly protested what it described as the “ongoing forceful” testing and quarantine and maltreatment of African Nationals in China and in Guangdong Province in particular.
In a letter of protest addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and International Department of the Communist Party of China, the African Ambassadors said they observed with consternations the discrimination and stigmatization of Africans whereby they are made to forcefully, and in a very crude manner to undergo epidemic investigation and Nucleic Acid Test, fourteen (14) days quarantine even if they had not travelled outside their jurisdictions, not come into contact with infected persons, not had close contact or showing any symptoms of the COVID-19.
The Group underscored the fact that Africans in China have at all times adhered to the laws of China, particularly within the period of the outbreak of Coronavirus, stressing that they cannot recall at any time that the Chinese authorities reported a case where African nationals violated the anti-pandemic laws and regulations of the China Government.
The African Ambassadors therefore noted that the singling out of Africans for compulsory testing and quarantine, has no scientific or logical basis and amounts to racism towards Africans in China.
The protest letter dated 9th April 2020, noted the excellent relations between China and the respective African countries dating back in the Africa’s liberation struggle, Africa’s support to China, especially in securing the permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council.
The Group further said that this collaborative effort also manifested in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the various assistance extended to African countries by the Communist Party of China under the leadership of H.E Xi Jinxing.
The African Ambassadors in China stressed the need for friendship between Africa and China to be mutual and not a one way affair, stressing that as Ambassadors, they have received disquieting reports of inhuman treatments meted out to Africans particularly in Guangdong Province and would like to enumerate just but a few
- African nationals ejected including Togolese, Nigerians, and Benenois from their hotels in the middle of the night only because they are Africans;
- A group of African students studying in Sun-Yat Sen University in Guangzhou were made to undergo the Nucleic Acid Test, in spite of the fact that they had no travel history within the stated period.
- Selective testing of African students while their non African colleagues are left out.
- There were cases of African men married to Chinese ladies and they were demanded to take the COVID-19 test and their Chinese families left out. In some cases the men were pulled out of their families and quarantined in hotels alone.
- Forced evictions of Africans from their various apartments and thrown into the streets even those with infant children.
- Seizure of passports of African nationals in violation of international practices and conventions
- Persistent harassment and humiliation of African nationals by subjecting them to unwarranted medical examinations after testing negative for the COVID-19, and forced into quarantine, irrespective of their negative status;
- Threats of revocation of visas, arrest, detention and deportation of African legal migrants for no cogent reason which infringes on their human rights
The African Ambassadors noted that from the foregoing, the impression is being created as though the spread of the virus is caused by Africans contrary to the fact that, in China and indeed globally, Africans are the least exposed to COVID-19.
The Group then asked; “OR is there any other reason for which Africans are being targeted other than COVID-19 that we are unaware of?
“We would also want to bring to your attention the possible backlash in our home countries of this obvious human rights violation.”
The Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing accordingly, demanded the cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans in Guangdong Province in particular and the whole of China.
The Group also demanded that Africans should be treated the same as Chinese and other nationals in the fight against COVID-19.
The protest letter by the African Ambassadors was equally addressed to the Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, the Vice Minister, International Department of Communist Party of China, All African Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director-General, The Human Rights Council, Geneva.
Others addressed to are the Director-General, African Department, PRC, MFA Director-General, Consular Department, PRC, MFA, the Director-General – Guangdong Provincial Foreign Office while the Chair Person, African Union in Addis Ababa was copied.
