Warning on racist campaign

Bevan Chuang has been receiving 'crazy neo-Nazi posts' attacking her ethnicity on her Facebook page. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A white supremacist Christchurch group is planning to distribute anti-Chinese flyers around Auckland, a city council ethnic panel member says.

Chinese woman Bevan Chuang said she had received information that the Right Wing Resistance was planning to distribute leaflets in Titirangi, Manurewa and Onehunga attacking Chinese immigration.

"Safety is the most important thing, so please don't confront the white power people with your bare hands," Miss Chuang said in an email circulated to leading members of Auckland's Chinese.

The Hong Kong-born panel member has also alerted the police Asian liaison officer to the matter.

Two years ago, the same group distributed "Stop the Asian Invasion" flyers in areas with high Asian population, such as Howick, Northcote and Pakuranga, sparking police concerns that the action would lead to racially motivated violence.

The far-right group also tried then to recruit non-Asian immigrants to join its campaign against the Chinese.

Miss Chuang said she had been receiving "crazy neo-Nazi posts" on her Facebook page, attacking her ethnicity.

An unsolicited post received by Miss Chuang described Chinese people as "the cancer of New Zealand", bringing mass pollution and "over-breeding".

It added, "Go back there, we don't want your rubbish communist politics in our free country".

Another described Asian people as "fish faced" and said they moved to New Zealand only after poisoning the water and rivers at home.

"You ... claim to be Kiwi when you are not born here, so you are not," one post said.

"Tell your Asian mates they ain't welcome, spread it around like Chinese whispers we don't want you here."

Miss Chuang complained to Facebook, saying the posts contained "hate speech", but was told by the company that such posts "doesn't violate Facebook's community standard".

Miss Chuang said she did not think the attacks were personal, but was concerned about how they could hurt other Chinese New Zealanders.

The panel will be hosting a mini-conference on "Racism and its impact on Auckland as a diverse city" on Saturday at the Auckland University of Technology.

Mayor Len Brown and new Race Relations Commissioner Susan Devoy will be speaking at the forum.

A Human Rights Commission report last year found structural discrimination to be a "real and ongoing issue" and said Maori, Pacific and ethnic people were unfairly treated.

On Wednesday, TV3's The Vote will also explore the issue of racism in New Zeaand.

Panellists, including lawyer Mai Chen, former Labour leader Phil Goff, Pacific studies Professor Damon Salesa and broadcaster John Tamihere will debate whether "New Zealand is a racist country".