China trade boycott by the Municipality of Marrickville
The Chinese Australian Forum (CAF) will be keeping a close watch over Marrickville Council and Greens Mayor Fiona Byrne after she claimed to be misquoted by the media over a proposed Marrickville Council trade boycott of China.
On 26 February 2011, Mayor of Marrickville, Clr Fiona Byrne, was reported to have proposed this boycott of China out of sympathy for Tibetans. The Mayor has since written to CAF and assured us she was misquoted by the media. Mayor Byrne also said no such boycott of China will be presented to Marrickville Council.
The Chinese Australian Forum has also received written and unequivocal opposition to such a trade boycott proposal from 7 of the 11 other Marrickville Councillors not associated with the Greens Party. The non-Green Councillors recognise the positive contributions made by the Chinese Australians within the Marrickville community. CAF welcome their pledges and commitments.
“As a candidate in the lead up to the 2011 NSW State Election, Marrickville Mayor Fiona Byrne now knows that she does not have majority support by her own Councillors for any proposal of a boycott against China. Marrickville Council should be building bridges across our multicultural Australian community.” said Chinese Australian Forum President Tony Pang.
“Marrickville Mayor Byrne’s purported comments were unhelpful to Chinese-Australians born in or who migrated to Australia seeking a better life for themselves and their children. Marrickville has a higher than average spread of Chinese Australians working, living and doing business within the Municipality”
“How would this trade boycott work? Why China made products? Will a new “Great Wall of China” to be erected around the Marrickville Council blocking all Chinese food, clothes and products? Such a trade boycott would have had a negative impact and was provocatively unhelpful in producing harmony and peace within our Australian community,” said Mr Pang.
For any further information, please contact Tony Pang,
CAF President on 0414 512 027 or [email protected]
The Chinese Australian Forum (CAF) is Australia’s most highly regarded advocacy organisation for Chinese-Australians. Since its inception in 1985 in response to the deterioration in inter-racial relationship, the CAF has fought to eliminate racism while raising political awareness within the Chinese-Australian community. It has since evolved and expanded its role to include involvement in broader social and political issues affecting the democratic process in Australia. It remains the only Chinese-Australian organisation in NSW whose main activity is to engage its members and supporters in the political process in our country.
