Chinese man accused of filming discriminatory videos in Malawi convicted

Lu Ke, the Chinese man accused of filming discriminatory videos in Malawi, was on Thursday sentenced to 12 months in prison after several charges were brought against him in connection with the incident. 

As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the convicted man – also known as Susu – appeared in a BBC documentary where he allegedly filmed Malawian children using racist words to make fun of themselves.

The prison sentence handed to the Chinese national added up to the time he had already spent in police custody after he was arrested, BBC reported. He was, therefore, given seven days to leave the East African nation and ordered never to come back.

The BBC Africa Eye documentary accused Lu Ke of filming personalized greeting videos that featured Malawian children. The videos, some of which allegedly had racist content, were uploaded online and sold for as much as $70 on Chinese social media and internet platforms.

In one of the videos shown in the documentary, some of the children were heard singing: “I’m a black monster and my IQ is low,” in Chinese. The videos drew the ire of the Malawian public after the documentary was released, and a warrant for the Chinese national’s arrest was subsequently issued. Lu Ke, however, fled to Zambia after authorities announced they were searching for him. He was later arrested and extradited to Malawi. 

The Chinese national, who faced 14 charges, had been held without bail prior to his conviction, BBC reported. The charges brought against him included procurement of children for use of entertainment, child trafficking, illegal use of the internet and harmful social practices.

Lu Ke, however, said he did not produce derogatory videos, adding that he rather made them promote Chinese culture. The court was also informed he paid Malawi’s government $16,000 as compensation to the victims and for other community endeavors. 

China’s interests in Africa over the last decade or so have translated into many more Chinese people in African countries now than ever before. Many of them are business owners who do everything from manufacturing to retailing. However, citizens of dozens of African countries have reported abuse from Chinese nationals as well as culture clashes.