Filipinos Appeal against Racial Hatred over Rena Disaster

Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand, an organisation of Filipinos working and living in New Zealand, is appealing to New Zealanders to spare the Filipino community from racial hatred in the midst of the Rena oil crisis.

"The environmental disaster in Tauranga is a tragedy of the highest order. Fanning racial hatred against Filipinos who also care so much for the beauty of New Zealand would be another gross human disaster. We do understand the intense feelings of New Zealanders over this disaster. We appeal for sobriety so that innocent Filipinos would not be subjected to racial hatred as already experienced by some Filipinos in Tauranga," Dennis Maga, Migrante Aotearoa National Coordinator says.

"We Filipinos are one with the people of Tauranga and whole of New Zealand in lamenting the massive environmental disaster brought by the Rena oil spill. We regret that this happened and hope that those responsible would be made accountable in accordance with New Zealand and international laws. We too are deeply aggrieved over this tragedy and hope for the best possible efforts to save every living thing out there," Maga concludes.

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