A Malawi based Chinese video maker wanted by Malawi as part of an investigation into allegations of racism and child exploitation has been arrested.
Lu Ke was a Malawi resident when he was exposed by BBC Africa Eye, which reported he had used local children to film personalised greetings videos, some of which included racist content.
The videos were sold for $70 on Chinese internet sites.
Lu Ke denied making derogatory videos.
He said he made his videos in order to spread Chinese culture to the local community.
In one of the videos seen by the BBC, a group of young children is made to chant – in Chinese – “I’m a black monster. My IQ is low”, clearly unaware of what they are saying.
While being secretly filmed by an undercover journalist posing as a potential buyer, Lu Ke admitted and then immediately denied having made the video.
Malawian police last week launched an investigation but were unable to arrest the Chinese filmmaker as he could not be found after he illegally crossed into Zambia.
On Sunday, 17 July 2022, Malawi Government released a statement saying Lu Ke was now in the country after being extradited from Zambia.
Full statement:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform members of the public that, with cooperation from the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the fugitive Mr Lu Ke, who fled Malawi to Zambia in June 2022, has been successfully extradited to Malawi on Saturday, 16th July 2022.
Members of the public will recall that Mr Lu Ke fled Malawi after the publication of a BBC report on the dehumanising videos that he produced by tricking Malawian children in Lilongwe and Mchinji districts for profit.
Through cooperating with both the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the Malawi Government established that Mr Lu Ke had fled to Zambia using unchartered routes.
The Zambian Government apprehended him for irregular entry and fined him accordingly.
Following this development, the Malawi Government through cooperation among Ministries of Homeland Security, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, reached out to the Zambian Government to request the extradition of Mr Lu Ke.
After procedures for considering the extradition request were completed, the Government of Zambia handed over Mr Lu Ke at the Mchinji border, on 16th July 2022.
Mr Lu Ke is expected to appear in court where he will be charged for contravening various laws of Malawi which the Director of Public Prosecutions will outline soon.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to thank the Government of the Republic of Zambia for the assistance it has rendered in this matter.
This cooperation underlines the cordial and brotherly relations the two countries enjoy.
The Ministry also wishes to thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the cooperation it provided including in information sharing.
Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to urge members of the public to be vigilant and ensure that the rights of children are not abused in any way, shape or form.
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