Campaigners are calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to drop charges of assault and affray against Eileen Jia, whose partner, Mi Gao Huang Chen, was attacked and murdered by a gang of youths after facing a sustained campaign of racism at their Chinese restaurant in Wigan.
On 23 April 2005, Mi Gao Huang Chen, a Chinese takeaway owner, was murdered in an attack by a gang of over 20 youths in Wigan. The murder came after a long campaign of racial harassment suffered by Mi Gao Huang Chen. His partner, Eileen Jia, who now faces charges in connection to defending herself, alleges that the police failed to take their reports of racist harassment seriously. Min Quan, a charity that provides legal advice and support to the UK Chinese community, is supporting Eileen and is calling for the charges against her to be dropped. Min Quan has also launched a ‘Takeaway Racism Campaign’ to highlight the racist harassment of Chinese restaurant owners in the UK.
Six teenagers have been charged with the murder of Mi Gao Huang Chen and others, aged between 14 and 17, have also been charged with various offences including affray and violent disorder in connection with the incident that led to his death.