Far-right group plans Auckland anti-Asian march

Kyle Chapman. Photo / APN

A far-right Christchurch group is planning a "massive anti-Asian rally" in Queen St after its recruiting drive in Auckland, its leader, Kyle Chapman, told the Herald yesterday.

The Right Wing Resistance is handing out flyers in areas with high Asian population, such as Pakuranga, Howick and Northcote, claiming an Asian invasion is taking place.

Mr Chapman, a former National Front leader, said the drive was to recruit "like-minded Kiwis" to organise the rally, which the group plans to stage before the general election on November 26.

He said the Resistance was against mass Asian immigration, because Asian migrants "stole jobs" and "destroyed white New Zealand culture and heritage".

When asked by this reporter, an Asian originally from Singapore, if he was one of those the group would like to keep out of the country, Mr Chapman said: "You're not the kind of Asian we're against.

"The tactic we're taking at the moment is the anti-communist tag, and too many Chinese are coming in with communist affiliation," he said. "We don't want to be taken over by communists."

Mr Chapman said he was sick of the problems he alleged were caused by Asian immigration "being swept under the carpet all the time".

Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley disagreed, saying the flyers were "offensive, intimidating" and "designed to stir up publicity rather than recruit".

He felt the group would not get much support for its rally.

"If any town in New Zealand has a history of these groups, it is unfortunately Christchurch. They have never been successful in Auckland. There's not really much support for such racism here."

Professor Spoonley pointed out that the Right Wing Resistance had 42 members on its Facebook website.

"They are white supremacist, and it says so on their website. If you don't oppose them on the outset, there's always a chance they'll become more serious."

Raymond Huo, the country's only Chinese-born MP, called Mr Chapman a "racist" who should stop his brand of fascism.

A Human Rights Commission spokesman said it was against the law to incite racial disharmony, but there was a "high threshold" for the Human Rights Act to come into play.

Police Asian liaison officer Raymond Wong says the Right Wing Resistance is being closely monitored and police would prosecute anyone who committed or incited racially-motivated violence.