Chinese restaurant owner in Kenya arrested after 'No Africans' uproar

[Loki]

Chinese restaurant owner in Kenya arrested after 'No Africans' uproar (http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/25/africa/kenyan-chinese-restaurant-discrimination-arrest/index.html)

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150204115043-nairobi-city-scene-source-exlarge-169.jpg

(CNN) The owner of a Chinese restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya has been arrested following an uproar over its policy of banning African customers at night, according to reports.

Owner Zhao Yang was arrested for operating a restaurant without a valid license shortly after local press ran a story alleging that Kenyan reporters were turned away from the restaurant -- for being African.

Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper carried a story Monday that its reporters had been barred entry to the restaurant, being told by a guard at the entrance that "the time for Africans is over" when the journalists arrived at 7 p.m.

Only locals accompanied by Chinese, European or Indian patrons would be admitted, the newspaper reported.

It also reported that two local politicians, "loyal patrons" Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju, had been admitted, the latter being a friend of the owner.

Kenyan social media users were quickly up in arms about the ban, taking to Facebook and Twitter to voice their displeasure, using the hashtag #noblacksallowed.

Restaurant closes

The establishment, known only as Chinese Restaurant, in the Kilimani neighborhood of Nairobi, has subsequently been closed after it transpired that it lacked several necessary licenses, said reports.

The Daily Nation reported that the Chinese-owned eatery lacked liquor, health or change-of-use licences -- the latter needed as the property had been converted from a residence to a restaurant.

Co-owner and restaurant manager Esther Zhao told the newspaper that the "no Africans at night" policy had its roots in security concerns.

"We don't admit Africans that we don't know because you never know who is Al-Shabaab and who isn't," she said, referencing the Islamist militant group that is active in Kenya and neighboring Somalia.

"It is not like it is written on somebody's face that they are a thug armed with a gun," she said.

The restaurant's owners appeared to admit culpability in a statement reproduced in the newspaper.

"Because of the concern of the business environment at night and the bad memory of (a robbery in) 2013, we adopted certain measures. Unfortunately, some of the measures were inappropriate, we sincerely apologize for this," the management said in a statement.

China is the largest outside investor in African economies but resentment against Chinese in Kenya and other African nations is significant as many Africans often regard Chinese businesses as, in the words of one Chinese journalist, "resource predators" or "environmental vandals."

One Kenyan reporter commenting on the restaurant's ban likened the policy to a new form of colonialism in Africa.

[B01AB20]

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China is the largest outside investor in African economies but resentment against Chinese in Kenya and other African nations is significant as many Africans often regard Chinese businesses as, in the words of one Chinese journalist, "resource predators" or "environmental vandals."

One Kenyan reporter commenting on the restaurant's ban likened the policy to a new form of colonialism in Africa.

Now that the white colonialism is over in Africa, it begins the yellow colonialism.

Another masters but the same dislike towards local black people. Maybe the curse on blacks written in the jewish bible, the old testament, is true. :eek:

[SKYNET]

wuuuuut? Unbelievable, how could it happen?

[Rædwald]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n0q0Wf7ncM

Made me think of this

[Anthony PV]

Oh boy... Chinese people have truly lost their 'soul'... Shouldn't they be busy with solving all the pollution that is ravaging China instead of plundering the natural resources of Africa? If that restaurant owner operated in China, he would have the legitimacy of banning Blacks from his property, but since he's operating on African soil, the last thing he wants to do is to alienate the natives... Unless he really wants to end up chopped up in pieces boiling in the cauldron of the local cannibal tribe... :p

[Kamal900]

Lol, funny. What were they thinking?

[StonyArabia]

Lol his business was bound to fail if it does not cater for the majority.

[jatt]

Chinese are very racist in general.

[Wadaad]

Chinese are very racist in general.

No they are not (atleast anymore than Black Africans are accustomed to)...Kenyans are very doting and uncle tomish. Every white person is a 'bwana' and is greeted with bright smiles and a helpful hand. This is not the first 'locals are not welcome' site there. In Mombasa, there are 'Israelis only' beaches that I've seen with my own eyes.

[Kamal900]

No they are not (atleast anymore than Black Africans are accustomed to)...Kenyans are very doting and uncle tomish. Every white person is a 'bwana' and is greeted with bright smiles and a helpful hand. This is not the first 'locals are not welcome' site there. In Mombasa, there are 'Israelis only' beaches that I've seen with my own eyes.

Why does this not surprise me considering on how Israel treats its African people(both the beta Israelis and non-Jewish Africans from Southern Sudan, Eritrea and etc), and yet, the world is extremely oblivious to that fact.

[StonyArabia]

No they are not (atleast anymore than Black Africans are accustomed to)...Kenyans are very doting and uncle tomish. Every white person is a 'bwana' and is greeted with bright smiles and a helpful hand. This is not the first 'locals are not welcome' site there. In Mombasa, there are 'Israelis only' beaches that I've seen with my own eyes.

Sad on so many levels.

[Anthony PV]

Kenyans must be desperately poor and in need for foreign investors to allow a discriminating Chinese restaurateur and self-righteous Israeli prima-donnas to invade and claim their land as their own... Something tells me that, sooner or later, there's going to be a violent backlash against these new colonizers... :coffee:

Imagine the aftermath:

Kenyan cannibal child: 'Dad, I'm hungry! What do we have for dinner?'
Kenyan cannibal dad: 'Today, you have the choice between Chinese take-out and Jewish kreplachs...'
Kenyan cannibal child: 'Yay!'

:p

[Ctwentysevenj]

First the sub Saharan masters were the Arabs, then the Europeans, probably the biggest masters, now the Chinese are the masters of the Nigger. Especially now in Angola, Zambia and other African countries. I think the SSA will always have masters.

[Prisoner Of Ice]

He's in africa. If he doesn't like negores eating at his restaurant he should go to china. Though I am sure he did not decide this out of the blue.

[Trogdor]

How can you expect your restaurant to do well if you don't open doors to the majority of people in the country? Of course, denying someone access to your restaurant on the basis of their race is wrong anyway.

[zhaoyun]

He's in africa. If he doesn't like negores eating at his restaurant he should go to china. Though I am sure he did not decide this out of the blue.

I agree he is a stupid fuck. Though his restaurant is probably catering to a large foreign expat community, and doesn't necessarily exclude Africans in entirety but only the ones unaccompanied by foreign clientele (which is probably a way to screen the wealthier and less criminally prone natives, though albeit a PR disaster).

Anyways, I'm very familiar with this type of Chinese mentality. It is practical to the core, and does not care about the sensitivities of others. I'm sure the owner probably experienced a great deal of petty crime from native Africans and hatched out this plot to simply screen out the demographic responsible for the most amount of petty crimes, and obviously because of his insensitivity, it is a PR disaster. Unfortunately, many Chinese immigrants are a bit socially retarded when it comes to being politically correct so this happens quite often.

[Mortimer]

im glad my chinese restaurant owner lets me buy his food as i really like chinese food, he was never racist to me.

[Ctwentysevenj]

im glad my chinese restaurant owner lets me buy his food as i really like chinese food, he was never racist to me.

I like their Home made dim sims or dumplings.

[Mortimer]

No they are not (atleast anymore than Black Africans are accustomed to)...Kenyans are very doting and uncle tomish. Every white person is a 'bwana' and is greeted with bright smiles and a helpful hand. This is not the first 'locals are not welcome' site there. In Mombasa, there are 'Israelis only' beaches that I've seen with my own eyes.

sounds like nice people, they should treat their own like that too

[Prisoner Of Ice]

Kenyans must be desperately poor and in need for foreign investors to allow a discriminating Chinese restaurateur and self-righteous Israeli prima-donnas to invade and claim their land as their own... Something tells me that, sooner or later, there's going to be a violent backlash against these new colonizers... :coffee:

Imagine the aftermath:

Kenyan cannibal child: 'Dad, I'm hungry! What do we have for dinner?'
Kenyan cannibal dad: 'Today, you have the choice between Chinese take-out and Jewish kreplachs...'
Kenyan cannibal child: 'Yay!'

:p

Africans are all corrupt and don't have the concept of longterm benefit, so leaders always sell out their people for chump change.

[Nehellenia]

Lol, how can you ban African customers in Africa..? someone needs to go back home i think xD

[Ta seti]

The restaurant is closed down now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24OvGQ5MpM

[Dandelion]

Now that the white colonialism is over in Africa, it begins the yellow colonialism.

Another masters but the same dislike towards local black people. Maybe the curse on blacks written in the jewish bible, the old testament, is true. :eek:

The Chinese are making deals with Africans which mostly benefits the People's Republic of China. In exchange for building a few roads and maybe some infrastructure. In effect it's almost the same as Western colonialism, but only with a polite smile.
One aspect that people often forget about Western colonialism is that Europeans also built roads, hospitals, schools, sanitation, etc... In time the locals were to benefit from them as well. While Europeans were in larger numbers to permanently settle in their colonies, China is currently doing the same yet most of the world doesn't see it as such. Smart.

Reminds me of an interview in a Flemish (socialist) weekly with a Singaporese intellectual (sadly forgot his name it's more than ten years ago). That man could barely hide his hatred for the Western culture and would glorify China at any chance he could get. He did say things like "I have the best intentions for the West and when I critise it it's with that in mind", but a few moments later he would burst out in anger he had trouble containing. A very serious, grumpy hateful man. I still remember one of his arguments about Africa: "Unlike you Europeans, the Chinese respect Africans and that's why Africans like to deal with us." I wonder how much of this so-called respect is genuine.