12 | Monday, March 1, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY WORLD Briefly BOLIVIA Message against racism delivered Vice­minister dies from COVID­19 Rally in Manhattan follows surge in was being investigated as a possible City, 259 incidents against Asian ing. I talked to a family member of The Bolivian government on Satur­ hate crime. Americans were recorded in the someone who is in hospital as a vic­ day said Gonzalo Rodriguez, who hate crimes targeting Asian Americans Last year, there were 28 incidents same period, with 81 percent being tim of one of these hate crimes. served as vice­minister in charge of of pandemic­related hate crimes verbal and 12 percent physical. There are so much pain and confu­ fighting smuggling, has died from By MINLU ZHANG in New York in New York City, but all over this against Asians in New York and two In New York, where Asian Ameri­ sion.” COVID­19. Rodriguez was admitted [email protected] country: Stop Asian hates, stop it so far in 2021, according to the dep­ cans make up an estimated 16 per­ April Somboun, a candidate for to hospital two weeks ago after con­ now,” de Blasio told the crowd. uty inspector of the city’s Anti­ cent of the population, the violence New York City council District 33, tracting the coronavirus. His situa­ New York leaders joined hun­ “Anyone who commits an act of Asian Hate Crimes Task Force, has terrified many. said two of her friends have been tion worsened and he died on Friday dreds of residents at a rally in Man­ hatred against the Asian­American Stewart Loo. “On Thursday, I was coming home verbally abused. They were called night. Bolivian President Luis Arce hattan on Saturday afternoon to community will be found, will be In contrast, New York officials from Flushing and walking in Penn “the virus” and told “get out of the expressed his regret over the vice­ combat a pandemic­fueled arrested, will be prosecuted.” say that in 2019 there were only Station, some guys reached out and country”. minister’s death and sent his condo­ increase in attacks against Asian The rally was planned against the three anti­Asian hate crimes. tried to hit me. I just kept walking. Somboun, who was born in a ref­ lences to his family. Rodriguez was a Americans. backdrop of a spate of violent But why are these things happen­ ugee camp in Thailand and came to career soldier and became vice­minis­ The Rise Up Against Asian Hate crimes against Asians and Asian Spiking violence ing?” said Joanne Hsu, a 51­year­old the US when she was a baby, said: ter in 2018 as part of the government rally in the borough’s Foley Square Americans in New York and across The increase in attacks in the city social worker from New Jersey. “It’s disgusting.” of then president Evo Morales. He was attended by Mayor Bill de Blas­ the United States. mirrors a trend across the US. Stop “My parents always told me to be “I’m sad. It made me think of my resumed the position in November io, along with mayoral candidate The rally was held near the loca­ AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks silent. This is very unhelpful. Now, mom and my grandma who came 2020 to lead the fight against the ille­ Andrew Yang, Senator Chuck Schu­ tion in Chinatown where a 36­year­ violence and harassment against these people think we Asians are to America for the American gal entry of goods into the country. mer and congresswoman Grace old Asian man was stabbed and Asian Americans and Pacific Island­ okay with everything, and the police dream. I’m living in the American Meng. The rally was organized by taken to hospital in critical condi­ ers, recorded 2,808 reported inci­ don’t think they need to protect us. dream because of them,” she said. “I YEMEN the Asian American Federation, a tion on Thursday night. dents since last March. We have to be here now to really give want to protect our elders, and I Houthi rebels admit to nonprofit network of community A suspect was arrested and Some 70.9 percent of the reported voice and to bring more attention to want to protect my children.” groups. charged with attempted criminally incidents were verbal harassment our community, to have more faces.” foiled Riyadh strike “We will not accept hatred in New negligent homicide, assault, for­ and acts of shunning or avoidance Yang, a former presidential can­ Inside Houthi rebels on Sunday claimed York City! Stop Asian hate, this is the gery and criminal possession of a comprised 21.4 percent of the total, didate, told reporters at the rally: responsibility for a thwarted missile message we have to get out not just weapon. Officials said that the case according to AAPI. In New York “It’s really painful and heartbreak­ Editorial, page 9 strike that targeted the Saudi Arabi­ an capital Riyadh and other regions overnight, threatening more attacks. “The operation was carried out with What goes up a ballistic missile and 15 drones … Arab League rejects US targeting sensitive areas in the ene­ my’s capital of Riyadh,” said Huthi spokesman Yahya al­Saree, accord­ report on Khashoggi ing to the rebels’ Al­Masirah TV channel. “Our operations will contin­ CAIRO — The Arab League on ue and will expand as long as the Saturday expressed support for aggression and siege on our country Saudi Arabia’s rejection of a recent continues.” A Saudi­led military coa­ US intelligence report on the mur­ The kingdom (Saudi lition said on Saturday it thwarted der of Saudi journalist Jamal Arabia) rejects any the Houthi ballistic missile that tar­ Khashoggi in 2018. geted Riyadh. Fragments of the mis­ “Saudi judicial authorities are measure that sile scattered over several Riyadh the only ones in charge of holding infringes upon neighborhoods, damaging at least those involved in (the) Khashoggi one home but no casualties were case accountable,” the league’s sec­ its leadership, reported, Saudi’s state­run Al­Ekh­ retary­general, Ahmed Aboul­ sovereignty, and the bariya television said. Gheit, said in a statement. A four­page report by the US independence of its HAITI Office of the Director of National judicial system.” Jailbreak leaves 25 Intelligence indicates that Saudi dead, 200 at large Arabia’s Crown Prince Moham­ A statement from Saudi med bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Arabia’s Foreign Ministry More than 200 prisoners were on the Saud approved the operation in run in Haiti on Friday, a day after they the Turkish city of Istanbul “to escaped from jail in a violent break­ capture or kill Saudi journalist on Friday strongly rejected the US out that left 25 people dead including Jamal Khashoggi”. report, saying it contained “inac­ the prison director, officials said. On Friday, US President Joe Bid­ curate information and conclu­ Airplanes perform maneuvers at the Wings Over Wairarapa airshow in Masterton, New Zealand, on About 400 inmates fled on Thursday en said: “We are going to hold sions”. Saturday. More than 15,000 spectators watched the display at the Hood Aerodrome. The three­day and “25 people died, including six (Saudi Arabia) accountable for “The ministry reiterates what event began on Friday. ZHANG JIANYONG / XINHUA prisoners and Divisional Inspector human rights abuses. This report was previously announced by the Paul Hector Joseph, who was in has been sitting there, the last relevant authorities in the King­ charge of the prison”, said Secretary of administration wouldn’t even dom, that this was an abhorrent Communication Frantz Exantus. release it … it is outrageous what crime and a flagrant violation of “Among those killed were some ordi­ happened.” the kingdom’s laws and values,” Envoy urges dialogue on Myanmar nary citizens who were killed by the Aboul­Gheit said the US intelli­ the statement said. prisoners during their escape,” Exan­ gence agency is not authorized to The statement said Saudi By LIU YINMENG in Los Angeles tain calm and restraint, refrain isters, which would provide a tus said. About 200 prisoners were issue international rulings or ver­ authorities took all possible meas­ [email protected] from intensifying tensions, escalat­ useful platform and opportunity still at large, but “the police are work­ dicts. ures to ensure that individuals ing the situation, and using vio­ for promoting problem­solving, ing hard” to get them back. “Some are “Human rights issues should connected with the case were China on Friday called on all par­ lence, so as to prevent bloodshed. he said. in handcuffs; they will not be able to not be politicized,” the secretary­ properly investigated, and to ties in Myanmar to resolve their He stressed that the situation in “We believe that ASEAN, as a go far,” Exantus said. general said. ensure that justice was served. differences through dialogue Myanmar is the country’s internal mature regional organization, has Biden’s decision to release the The individuals concerned under a “constitutional and legal affairs. enough political wisdom to help INDIA report — first completed under were convicted and sentenced in framework”. “The international community Myanmar tide over the difficulties,” Rooster kills owner former US president Donald Saudi courts and these sentences Zhang Jun, China’s permanent should, on the premise of respect­ Zhang added. with cockfight blade Trump — marked a sharp depar­ were welcomed by the family of representative to the United ing Myanmar’s sovereignty, politi­ The ambassador said China sup­ ture from his predecessor, who Jamal Khashoggi, the statement Nations, told a General Assembly cal independence, territorial ports Special Envoy Burgener in A rooster fitted with a knife for an had vowed to keep working with said.