Child exploitation: Chinese arraigned in Malawi 

Prosecutors in Malawi have charged a Chinese national for racism, exploitation of children, and human trafficking. He was exposed in a BBC African Eye video documentary dated 20th June 2022 for using Malawian children to make racist, personalised videos.

The 26 years old Lu Ke, who was arraigned in the capital Lilongwe on Monday, is alleged to have filmed children singing racist chants about themselves in Chinese – which they didn’t understand – and then selling the videos on Chinese social media. He was reported to have fled Malawi after the allegations of abuse were raised, but was arrested in Zambia for illegal entry, and extradited to Malawi. 

Did he admit to the charges? 

He has not made his plea, as prosecutors have indicated that there may be more charges when investigations conclude in two weeks. The accused will remain in custody as he was denied bail by the Senior Magistrate, James Mankhwazi, who ruled that prosecutors demonstrated that Lu is a flight risk, has no definitive place of stay, and could interfere with witnesses who are minors. 
In a statement condemning the accused’s actions, the Chinese embassy in Malawi expressed disapproval of Lu’s conduct, reiterating that the Chinese government has zero tolerance for racism. 

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