Today-Mar 6
Members of the Russian community in Singapore have seen offensive posts and hate speech pop up online since the invasion of Ukraine. Already concerned about friends and family members back in Eastern Europe, the hostilities they saw here only added to their worries. Some are bracing themselves to face even worse hostilities after hearing reports about xenophobia towards Russians in other parts of the world. Anna, the director of the Russian Singapore Amateur Chekhov Theatre, has been based here for 14 years. Yet only in recent weeks she began experiencing anti-Russian sentiment for the first time. The 44-year-old mother of three said that she has seen people on her social media feed post offensive memes and hate speech about Russians, which has made her feel unwelcome here. There are about 4,000 Russians living in Singapore, said Mr Aleksandr Solovev, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy here. Some are bracing themselves for the worst as they hear reports of xenophobic behavior towards Russians in other parts of the world. One Singaporean has also found herself caught in the crossfire. Ms Cheryl-Ann Tan, who founded the Singapore-Russia Connection, a local group dedicated to building personal, cultural and business ties between the two countries, said that she has received abusive messages from friends. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/russians-singapore-see-varying-degrees-hostility-some-bracing-more-1837891
