On June 28th, which was the Māori New Year in New Zealand, a 16-year-old Chinese international student was subjected to a “racial attack” on a bus in Auckland, leaving him with facial injuries. However, it was only an elderly Chinese man who came to his rescue.
According to a report by the New Zealand Herald on June 30th, on a bus in Auckland, a woman attacked a 16-year-old boy with a metal rod. The victim lost three teeth during the attack, and two other teeth were damaged. The woman was heard shouting racial slurs during the incident.
The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. last Friday (June 28th). The male student, who preferred not to disclose his name, told the Herald that he was on a bus heading to Panmure, listening to music and scrolling on his phone. As the bus passed Pakuranga Plaza, a woman began verbally assaulting him and then physically attacked him.
In this racially motivated attack, only a 75-year-old man intervened and managed to restrain the woman, standing between her and the victim. The woman fled from the bus at the Pakuranga Williams Ave bus stop.
Having lived in New Zealand for seven years, this was the first time the international student had experienced a racially motivated attack. The police stated that they are actively searching for the perpetrator and seeking the public’s assistance.
According to New Zealand media Kiwi Mao, there were over a dozen Chinese passengers on the bus at the time, but only the 75-year-old man, known online as “Penglai Qiuyue,” stepped in to prevent the woman from causing further harm. The driver did not immediately stop the bus or call the authorities.
“What angers me is that despite the passengers witnessing us struggling with the assailant, no one dared to come forward to help. I shouted for help several times, but they remained indifferent,” said “Penglai Qiuyue.” He was certain they were Chinese as they had chatted at the bus stop and were heading to an event hosted by a Chinese association in the Eastern District. The passengers were all in their 60s or older (those above 65 ride buses for free).
According to a report by Chinanew.com on July 1st, the Chinese Consulate General in Auckland has urgently responded to the assault on Chinese students, urging the police to thoroughly investigate the case.
New Zealand Chinese community member Xing Jian expressed to Epoch Times his disappointment at the indifference of his compatriots. With so many Chinese passengers on the bus, including members of a Chinese association known to have connections with the consulate, it is concerning that such an incident was quickly reported to the association and the consulate.
He said, “The consulate’s response was too slow. For matters without personal gain, the consulate is reluctant to get involved. If it weren’t for media coverage, they might have pretended not to know. The human rights of Chinese people overseas are protected by the host country, and their home country’s foreign missions only persecute Chinese nationals who criticize or question the Chinese Communist government.”