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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 28 May 2022
Racism in the ranks: Dutch police film spurs conversation

By MOLLY QUELL police officers with a “mi-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands gration” background - de-
(AP) — A documentary fined as having at least one
about discrimination within parent born abroad.
the ranks of Dutch police While 24% of the Dutch
has sparked a national population meets that
conversation in the Neth- definition, only 14% of the
erlands about racism, with police force does. The Na-
many officers and others tional Police Corps employs
hoping it will finally bring some 65,000 people, and
about change. around 40,000 work as of-
“The Blue Family,” or “De ficers.
Blauwe Familie” in Dutch, Margot Snijders has spent
discusses a culture of bully- 30 years on the national
ing and fear in the national force, including a number
police force. It premiered of years working on diver-
on Dutch television Mon- sity and inclusion efforts. Af-
day, timed around the sec- ter years of frustration, she
ond anniversary this week took a step back from that
of the killing of George role.
Floyd at the hands of Min- “People don’t trust us, and
nesota police. they don’t want to work for
“There is no way back,” Peris Conrad of the Dutch police poses for a picture in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, May 26, us,” Snijders, who also ap-
Peris Conrad, one of the 2022. pears in “The Blue Family,”
officers featured in the film, Associated Press told The Associated Press.
told The Associated Press. George Floyd’s death in the
Born in the former Dutch in service. do; not just executives, but paper published messages U.S. two years ago prompt-
colony Surinam, Conrad But Conrad, who is Black, all 65,000 colleagues. Be- from police group chats ed protests against racial
dreamed of being a po- recalled how in his first year cause safety outside starts that showed officers mak- injustice in the Netherlands
lice officer as a child. He at the police academy, with safety inside.” ing racial slurs and joking and around the world.
moved to the Netherlands colleagues hung a picture “There is no room for racism about killing non-white Controle Alt Delete, an
when he was 4 years old, of him with cell bars drawn and discrimination in our people. advocacy organization
and after a stint in the mili- on it. The caption read: police,” Justice Minister Di- “One less Turk” one officer that pushes for better law
tary, became a security “Our monkey in a cage.” lan Yesilgöz told Dutch talk wrote, in response to the enforcement practices,
guard. Police leaders received an show “RTL Boulevard.” slaying of a 16-year-old girl wanted to highlight prob-
While in that job, he had early showing of the film The Dutch parliament vot- who was shot and killed by lems within the Dutch po-
an encounter with police and promised action. ed by a large majority this her ex-boyfriend in her high lice force.
officers who were looking “The personal stories make week to place police lead- school’s bicycle shed. The group brought on
for information about crime it painfully clear how great ers under stricter supervi- As in other countries, the board filmmakers Maria
in the Surinamese commu- the impact is (of the rac- sion, citing the suicides in problems in the Nether- Mok and Meral Uslu to
nity. The officers encour- ism), and how long it will recent years of three offi- lands have a long history. A direct and produce the
aged him to join the force last,” Police Chief Henk van cers who had complained 1998 report by the Ministry documentary, which was
himself, which he did, ulti- Essen said in a statement. about discrimination. of Internal Affairs said dis- backed by Dutch public
mately spending 26 years “We all have something to Last year, a Dutch news- crimination was driving out broadcaster KRO-NCRV.q

Ex-Malaysia PM: U.S.-led trade group intended to isolate China

China, and won’t benefit lia, Brunei, India, Indone- organized by Nikkei Inc.
regional economic growth sia, Japan, Malaysia, New Later Friday, current Ma-
without Beijing. Zealand, the Philippines, laysian Prime Minister Ismail
U.S. President Joe Biden Singapore, South Korea, Sabri Yaakob, who is also in
launched the 13-nation Thailand, the United States Tokyo, met with his Japa-
Indo-Pacific Economic and Vietnam. Together nese counterpart, Fumio
Framework during a visit they represent 40% of the Kishida.
to Japan earlier this week. world’s GDP. They welcomed the launch
He said it will help the “This is not good for their of the economic frame-
United States work more own economic develop- work and affirmed their
closely with Asian countries ment,” Mahathir said of the cooperation in areas such
in areas including supply countries in the grouping. as digital transformation,
chains, digital trade, clean “China is a big trading part- cybersecurity, emerging
energy and anticorruption. ner for Malaysia, we don’t technology and supply
Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad adjusts “The U.S. will always want want to see any tension, chain resilience, Japan’s
an earphone before answering questions at a session of the to use groupings like this in any conflict with China and Foreign Ministry said.
International Conference on “The Future of Asia” Friday, May 27, order to isolate China,” Ma- we hope that the U.S. will Kishida sought Malaysia’s
2022 in Tokyo. hathir said at an interna- realize that China is there, support in achieving a “free
Associated Press tional conference in Tokyo. it’s not going to disappear, and open” Indo-Pacific, a
“Many countries recognize and we have to live with vision promoted by Japan
By MARI YAMAGUCHI hathir Mohamad criticized that this is not an economic China, which is now richer and the United States as a
Associated Press a new U.S.-led economic grouping but it is truly a po- than most countries in the counter to China’s military
TOKYO (AP) — Former Ma- grouping on Friday, say- litical grouping.” world,” he said at “The Fu- and economic rise in the
laysian Prime Minister Ma- ing it is intended to isolate The signatories are Austra- ture of Asia,” a conference region, the ministry said.q