Chinese people targeted in Tasmania as anger grows at China over COVID-19 crisis

A local Facebook page telling China to “f--k off” is just one shocking example of racism reported in the state as people continue to blame the country for the coronavirus pandemic.

THE coronavirus pandemic continues to expose Tasmania’s ugly side, with a visiting Chinese farm worker refused service in a North-West shop, and a local Facebook page set up to tell China to “f..k off” already gaining 4000 supporters.

Chinese Cultural Society of Tasmania president Yongbei Tang said Chinese people in the state were finding the current climate — in which many people were blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic — very difficult to endure.

“No matter where the virus came from, we human beings are the victims of it, no matter your skin colour is white, black or yellow,” Ms Tang said.

Chinese Cultural Society of Tasmania president Yongbei Tang.

The latest examples of discrimination follow an attack on Chinese students in New Town in March.

A 38-year-old man was jailed for two months after pleading guilty to assault.

Tasmanian Police at the time said there was no excuse for verbal or physical abuse in the community.

Ms Tang said a Tasmanian printing shop had refused to photocopy the passport of a working holiday visa holder employed on a farm in the North-West.

“The reasons given were ‘because she was from China’.”

Ms Tang said another student, from Taiwan, who put up a Facebook post about sharing a unit, received many nasty comments, including one saying nobody wanted to share a unit with “bat eaters”.

The poster was told to “go back to your own country” and to take the coronavirus with them.

“There is a Facebook group named “f..k off China” formed by a Tasmanian with more than 4000 people on it,” Ms Tang said.

She said Tasmania had a long tradition of welcoming new arrivals, but “sadly some of that seems to have been lost lately”.