Please protect, and take preventive measures to save ourselves. If we fall victim to the hate crime incidents, do not hesitate to report them
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian embassy in Washington DC responded to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes by inviting two US police officers at a webinar highlighting the issues on Saturday.

They are Captain Stacey Flynn and Sheriff Almiggabber. They belong to the Maryland State Police, the Indonesian embassy said in press statement that ANTARA received here Sunday.

At the webinar highlighting a theme of "preventing and facing hate crimes", Flynn shared advice for avoiding the anti-Asian hate crime incidents.

She also hinted that the US police do their utmost efforts to guarantee the safety of all Asian American citizens and foreign nationals in the country, including Indonesians.

Captain Flynn was quoted by the Indonesian embassy's press statement as saying that the Maryland police would seriously handle cases of reported anti-Asian hate crimes.

Therefore, Flynn suggested that those experiencing the anti-Asian attacks report the cases to the police.

The webinar was participated in by several members of the Indonesian community and diaspora as well as Indonesian diplomats residing in suburbs near Washington DC.

At the webinar, Gustaav Ferdinandus, coordinator for protocol and consular affairs at the Indonesian embassy in Washington DC, and Brig.Gen.Ary Laksmana Widjaja, police attache at the embassy, shared practical guidelines on how to prevent, respond, and report hate crimes.

"Please protect, and take preventive measures to save ourselves. If we fall victim to the hate crime incidents, do not hesitate to report them," Widjaja said.

Over these past two months, the United States has repeatedly borne witness to the anti-Asian hate crime incidents amid the ongoing threats of COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN reported on Sunday that the New York Police Department recorded 31 anti-Asian hate crimes between January 1 and March 28 this year.

One of the suspected perpetrators is identified as Joseph Russo, a 28-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York.

Russo is accused of having involved in three violent incidents against Asian New Yorkers which occurred on March 5, March 22, and April 5, according to CNN.


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Translator: Yashinta DP, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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