Wollongong police have been working overtime to quash a growing perception that the city is unsafe for Chinese students and business owners.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Chinese media outlets have reported details of three recent Wollongong assaults, with graphic images and details of attacks on a grocery store owner and university students saying the targeted crime is on the rise.
A Chinese social media site reported “the situation of Chinese background Australians and Chinese students getting attacked is getting worse, and this situation isn’t the first time that Chinese students were … attacked in the area”.
“This is no surprise considering there is major anti-Chinese sentiments in Australia and many feel emboldened to go and attack anyone who looks Chinese because we are seen as second – third class citizen people in this country,” the report said.
Wollongong police boss, Superintendent Chris Craner told the Mercury the perception of crime against international students was “far greater than what is actually occurring”.
“However if you’ve been a victim or think you could be then I need to do more,” he said.
“A couple of recent crimes against different nationalities have been racially motivated whilst others are random and isolated incidents.”
An Australian website quoting the Chinese site Weixin QQ showed graphic pictures of the attack on grocery store owner referred to as “Zhang” who suffered injuries to his face, ears and knees when he was “beaten to the ground”.
It also posted an Illawarra Mercury report on an assault on an international student who was punched in the face near Wollongong railway station on May 30.
The 22-year-old man was walking from the Piccadilly shopping centre when approached by two males who asked him for something, but the man did not understand them.
One abused him and then punched him in the face, before the two fled.
In another incident days earlier, two Chinese nationals were victims of a violent carjacking.
The university students aged 25 and 26 were driving around the top level of Wollongong’s Piccadilly Centre car park when two men approached – one punching the driver in the face while demanding she hand over her keys.
The other man produced a knife and tried to grab the passenger’s handbag.
Supt Craner said he had been working closely with the University, the international student body and Wollongong City Council in response to the attacks.
Supt Craner, who was recently appointed the Southern Region Sponsor for International Students, said it had been a “steep learning curve after a number of recent incidents with international students in Wollongong”.
“International Students, tourists, visitors to NSW and particularly Wollongong I see as vulnerable people that often need that extra care,” he said. “If I put myself in their position as a tourist to a foreign country or if my child was studying overseas, then I’d want the police to go that extra mile as well.
“As southern region sponsor it’s my role to assist all districts to improve relationships, trust and response to international students.”
The University of Wollongong also moved quickly to protect the safety and wellbeing of international students. (See separate story.)
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery confirmed he too had been involved with discussions with the Chinese consulate.
"It is a perception problem. Every now and again we have a flare-up, and this is classic example of a cohort of young people who are opportunistic,” Cr Bradbery said. “It's not so much that they were directing at a specific section of the community - they were opportunistic attacks by young people.”
He agreed that the perception that Wollongong could be dangerous for international students could be detrimental for the city's strong educational and business ties to China.
"That's exactly why I went on the front foot as Lord Mayor, going and visiting the shop owners, sitting with the students and sitting with the consulate staff and working with the university, “ he said. “We have relayed this to the Chinese community, and we specifically want to give assurance to the Chinese business owners who are very much part of our retail mix.”
Uni takes swift action
The University of Wollongong has moved swiftly to allay fears about the safety of international students following a series of assaults in Wollongong CBD.
Staff have been working with students and their representatives, police, council and relevant consulate staff to “address concerns about safety or perceptions of safety among students”.
“The University understands and shares the concerns of all our students. The safety and wellbeing of our students is the University’s top priority,” said UOW vice-chancellor Paul Wellings.
“Any incident that affects the safety of any of our students is cause for concern, but particularly for international students who are experiencing a new culture far from their families and home countries,” Professor Wellings said.
“We are doing everything we can to respond to these incidents in partnership with Wollongong City Council, local police and the wider community to support the safety and wellbeing of international students.”
The University was assisting police with their investigations into recent incidents, as well as conferring with Wollongong council and local MPs to understand students’ concerns and develop strategies to help prevent further incidents.
Prof Wellings said UOW staff had met with concerned Chinese students ahead of a specially convened meeting of managers from across the institution.
The vice-chancellor and members of the senior executive team are also liaising closely with embassy and consular officials, as are police, to inform them of efforts to protect the safety of their citizens while studying in Wollongong.
The University of Wollongong has about 7000 international students studying onshore in Australia, with most studying at its two Wollongong campuses.
