In an ugly reminder of what xenophobia really looks like, on Jan 3, a 22-year-old female Korean student was doused with a flammable liquid and set alight by an unknown male assailant as she was leaving her school in Moscow.
Fortunately, people nearby quickly put out the flames, so she avoided major injuries. Still, she sustained injuries to her back, and is receiving treatment at a local hospital.
According to the report, police believe the case was an incident of xenophobia — with Russia in economic turmoil thanks to the crash in oil prices, hostility to foreigners is on the rise.
The Korean Embassy, which has expressed concern about the attack, is advising Korean citizens in Russia to avoid going out at night.
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Weird. There are Russian citizens that look just like Koreans like the Buryat and Yakut Siberian minorities.
And these are considered as chornyi, “blacks”, by the large majority of (white) Russians.
On a related note:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4656255.ece
With what looks to be shaping up as a classic case of dutch disease compounded with the low gas prices, there could be a whole lot more moral decay coming around in Russia.
#4,
You mean more than the selective kleptocracy that’s taking place now, along with a rise for the return of traditional ‘Soviet’ values? Yes, that’s probably going to happen – just like Korea, where a lot of the problem is blamed on foreigners, except in the former USSR it will be blamed on foreigners and non-whites in general.
I have been told that there has been much xenophobia and racism in Russia partly because many Russians, who were living in countries that did business with the USSR, had to give up their belongings and assets when the former USSR collapsed, since they had to return home. As a result, many such people harbor grudges against foreigners that come to Russia from these places — so I am told.
Places like St. Petersburg are also notorious for skinheads who will target foreigners for violence. The police are also not very helpful there either.
Jeez, 3.5 hours this post has been up and no one has yet mentioned how lucky the girl is that Moscow bystanders intervened to put out the flames. Had this happened in Korea, the burning girl would certainly have received no more assistance than staring can provide.
Actually, Linkd, a Korean friend of mine who lived in St Petersburg would be surprised that the Russians did anything to help this particular poor Korean girl. When my friend was assaulted by youths with knives and harrassed and robbed – in broad daylight, no less – bystanders did nothing but stand by and watch. Luckily, in this terrible case, people did more to help.
That occurred to me as well, Linkd, especially with the concurrent thread about the Michael White tragedy.
Has anybody ever seen the video “From Russia with Hate?” Very scary xenophobic stuff.
Keep your eyes peeled on Russia, more to come……….
hamel,
It’s a whole other kettle of fish to jump in and help when armed felons are still directly involved. This is especially true in places with weak rule of law, where should a thug commit murder he is far less likely to be caught or convicted. (I believe Russia qualifies.)
madar: understood. My Russian friend (now with another country’s citizenship and residency) put it best: “the price of life is cheap in Russia.” I truly believe it is.
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