Pansy Speak: Qian Xun – Thousands Search

new-zealand-national-party

Fri Sep 21 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Pansy Speak: Qian Xun – Thousands Search

Friday, 21 September 2007, 3:49 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Qian Xun – Thousands Search

Who will ever forget the endearing and adorable picture of little Qian Xun that was published around the world after she was abandoned at the Melbourne railway station?

I refute the claim made by some critics who have said that the media fuss over her abandonment is because she is Chinese. Everyone is affected by Qian Xun’s plight. The strength of human kindness has been demonstrated to me time and time again this week as offers of help have poured in from around the world.

Qian Xun literally means ‘Thousands Search’, and her cute face has united ‘thousands’ of people across the divides to ‘search’ for solutions for her. The New Zealand public has embraced her because she is one of us. The strength of Australia’s interest is shown in the wonderful temporary foster case she has been placed in.

A friend of mine, and a mother of three, has been upset by negative comments in the media that paint her mum, An An, in a way that will sour Qian Xun’s memories of her mother when she is old enough to search her past. I can only hope that the tremendous goodwill and public concern shown so far will redress that balance.

The tragic ending of a beautiful young mother leaves me full of sadness. To Madam Liu, the mother of An An, it is an irreplaceable loss. During our phone conversations, Madam Liu has come across as strong and decisive – qualities she will need to take care of little Qian Xun. People have offered her accommodation and holidays and she takes a lot of comfort from that.

Agencies on both sides of the Tasman have been extremely cooperative in getting Madam Liu to New Zealand to be reunited with her granddaughter. No one is standing in the way of fast-tracking her travel arrangements.

The relevant agencies in both countries are cooperating with regards to the custody process. The willingness of all the authorities to speed up the process is a small ray of light in this tragedy. Like all of you, I want to see little Qian Xun reunited with her grandma. We can all take comfort that Qian Xun has a close relationship with her grandparents after spending a lot of time with them in her three years. This reinforces the importance of a strong family and extended family.

Reflecting back on this week, where I fielded upwards of 70 media calls in two days from New Zealand, Australia, China, and even Brazil, I have been pleased to see that the story hasn’t focused on Qian Xun’s ethnicity. This is in stark contrast to previous stories where ethnicity has been a large focus and the population has been portrayed as a one-image culture or practice.

I believe this may be due to the calls made by myself and police at the outset for the Chinese community to provide relevant information. There were times when these calls were made only through English media and this is an encouraging trend.

I have also observed increasing interaction between the mainstream and Asian media, which has resulted in a lot more information being made available. I hope the mainstream media will keep up their contact and interest, and continue to produce in-depth coverage of our ethnic minorities as individuals with distinct personalities.

In the meantime, our thoughts are with Qian Xun, or “Pumpkin” as she’s affectionately become known, as she deals with such a strong blow to her young life.

-- Pansy Wong

ENDS

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