Six Chinese students in France attacked in violent ‘xenophobic’ act
One victim suspected to be ‘daughter of retired Chinese political figure’, says French newspaper
Agence France-Presse in Bordeaux 16 June 2013
Six Chinese oenology students were attacked in the early hours of Saturday in France’s wine-producing region of Bordeaux, the interior ministry said, describing the violence as an act of xenophobia.
The students, who had arrived in France only two months ago, were allegedly “violently attacked” by three local men who were visibly drunk and previously known to the police, a ministry statement said.
Two of the alleged attackers have been detained and are now in police custody.
A female student was seriously hurt in the face by a glass bottle which was thrown at her.
“She happens to be the daughter of a Chinese political figure,” said Sud Ouest newspaper on its website.
According to other sources, the political figure is no longer in office.
“I cannot confirm the name, but it is someone who has now retired, having been the mayor of a big city,” said Georges Jousserand, who heads the school in Bordeaux where the six Chinese between the ages of 22 and 30 were studying.
The students were attacked at their home in Hostens, a small village of 1,300 inhabitants located about 50 kilometres south of Bordeaux in southwest France.
Police had apparently called on the three suspects that night over the din they were making.
Following that incident, the alleged attackers went to the residence where the Chinese students were living, perhaps thinking that the students had complained to police about the noise, a source close to the case said.
“When the Chinese student opened the door, he was attacked. And while the other students were trying to push the assailants out, it was then that one of the attackers threw a bottle straight in the face of the female student,” according to Jousserand.
“Two of the attackers were particularly violent,” he added.
Another source close to the affair said the three were very drunk. They knew exactly where the Chinese students lived and hurled “racist insults” at them, said the source.
The mayor of Hostens, Michel Viallesoubranne said that the students behaved calmly, while Jousserand said they were “perfectly integrated in this small village”.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls condemned “severely this xenophobic act, for which the culprits must answer to before justice”.
The students were meant to be studying in France for a year.
Concern has grown in China in recent months over the increasing number of cases of thefts and attacks against Chinese tourists.
In March, a group of 23 Chinese tourists were robbed in a restaurant shortly after they landed at Paris airport. French Tourism Minister Sylvia Pinel was forced to come out to say she would do everything to find the perpetrators.
The attack was slammed on China’s most popular social networking service, Sina Weibo, which is similar to Twitter.
“How dangerous is France! We need to be cautious about going there now, and avoid going as far as we can. We should go to better countries,” one user wrote.
“This is too far for the French people. My impression of France used to be quite good, but now its damaged,” said another.
Chinese media carried report of the attacks on Sunday, but did not mention the stated victim’s political connection.
The topic of politicians sending their children abroad to study provokes widespread resentment in China and is rarely-discussed by the country’s tightly controlled press, which is rarely allowed to discuss the family life of senior officials.
Still, some Internet users speculated that the students were wealthy. “Those who can afford to study abroad are either the children of government officials or rich families,” one user said. “They’re not worthy of sympathy,” another user said.
Others reading English-language reports turned their anger on the students. “Even foreigners can’t bear with the migration of corrupted officials and are punishing them abroad. This is karma,” another user said.
“That a random violent crime abroad has a government official’s children involved again proves their are no clean officials in China,” another wrote.
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Six Chinese students in France attacked in violent ‘xenophobic’ act
One victim suspected to be ‘daughter of retired Chinese political figure’, says French newspaper
Agence France-Presse in Bordeaux
16 June 2013
Six Chinese oenology students were attacked in the early hours of Saturday in France’s wine-producing region of Bordeaux, the interior ministry said, describing the violence as an act of xenophobia.
The students, who had arrived in France only two months ago, were allegedly “violently attacked” by three local men who were visibly drunk and previously known to the police, a ministry statement said.
Two of the alleged attackers have been detained and are now in police custody.
A female student was seriously hurt in the face by a glass bottle which was thrown at her.
“She happens to be the daughter of a Chinese political figure,” said Sud Ouest newspaper on its website.
According to other sources, the political figure is no longer in office.
“I cannot confirm the name, but it is someone who has now retired, having been the mayor of a big city,” said Georges Jousserand, who heads the school in Bordeaux where the six Chinese between the ages of 22 and 30 were studying.
The students were attacked at their home in Hostens, a small village of 1,300 inhabitants located about 50 kilometres south of Bordeaux in southwest France.
Police had apparently called on the three suspects that night over the din they were making.
Following that incident, the alleged attackers went to the residence where the Chinese students were living, perhaps thinking that the students had complained to police about the noise, a source close to the case said.
“When the Chinese student opened the door, he was attacked. And while the other students were trying to push the assailants out, it was then that one of the attackers threw a bottle straight in the face of the female student,” according to Jousserand.
“Two of the attackers were particularly violent,” he added.
Another source close to the affair said the three were very drunk. They knew exactly where the Chinese students lived and hurled “racist insults” at them, said the source.
The mayor of Hostens, Michel Viallesoubranne said that the students behaved calmly, while Jousserand said they were “perfectly integrated in this small village”.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls condemned “severely this xenophobic act, for which the culprits must answer to before justice”.
The students were meant to be studying in France for a year.
Concern has grown in China in recent months over the increasing number of cases of thefts and attacks against Chinese tourists.
In March, a group of 23 Chinese tourists were robbed in a restaurant shortly after they landed at Paris airport. French Tourism Minister Sylvia Pinel was forced to come out to say she would do everything to find the perpetrators.
The attack was slammed on China’s most popular social networking service, Sina Weibo, which is similar to Twitter.
“How dangerous is France! We need to be cautious about going there now, and avoid going as far as we can. We should go to better countries,” one user wrote.
“This is too far for the French people. My impression of France used to be quite good, but now its damaged,” said another.
Chinese media carried report of the attacks on Sunday, but did not mention the stated victim’s political connection.
The topic of politicians sending their children abroad to study provokes widespread resentment in China and is rarely-discussed by the country’s tightly controlled press, which is rarely allowed to discuss the family life of senior officials.
Still, some Internet users speculated that the students were wealthy. “Those who can afford to study abroad are either the children of government officials or rich families,” one user said. “They’re not worthy of sympathy,” another user said.
Others reading English-language reports turned their anger on the students. “Even foreigners can’t bear with the migration of corrupted officials and are punishing them abroad. This is karma,” another user said.
“That a random violent crime abroad has a government official’s children involved again proves their are no clean officials in China,” another wrote.
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