Activists Hold a Rally to Challenge Terrorism Alameda Police Waged Upon Southeast Asian Youth in Oakland

by Mark Liu
11/28/07

A coalition of activists are drawing attention to what they've called the "one of the worst cases of police harassment ever experienced by the East Bay's Southeast Asian community."

On Halloween night, Ichinkhorloo 'Iko' Bayarsaikhan, a 16-year-old Mongolian youth, was murdered in a park in Alameda in what was called a botched robbery attempt.   This has set off a search for the murderers that have left many community members angry.

In an e-mail sent out calling for action it stated, " For two weeks, Alameda Police Department terrorized the Southeast Asian community of Oakland -busting down doors, holding M-16's on the family members of the youth arrested, and detaining over half a dozen Southeast Asian youth without the knowledge or consent of their parents- instead of conducting a real investigation of the murder."

Claire Tran, Co-Director of one of Asian Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership's (AYPAL) sites, stated that in at least two separate incidences the police entered into supposed safe spaces for youth in full riot gear and aimed to scare and terrorize them.   One was at the Asian Resource Center in Oakland where AYPAL holds an after school program.   Police disrupted AYPAL's meeting and left the students and adults scared.

The second instance was at one of the youth's school.   A student was pulled out of class and ushered into a locked room and interrogated by police.   The youth who was a member of AYPAL was questioned about a MySpace page that contained pictures from an anti-war rally that AYPAL youth attended.   The police construed the fact that the youth were all wearing black and white (in solidarity with the rally) and holding up a peace sign (for peace) as gang activity.   The parents were not notified of the interrogation and the principal was present in the room while the interrogations happened.

Tran commented, "AYPAL is working on a campaign to prevent violence.   We're fighting for more after school programs to prevent violence and homicide before it happens.   10% of youth have access to youth programs. Where are the safe spaces to hang out?   We're doubly shocked that our youth leaders fighting for peace and social justice were being harassed and targeted by the police department."

Alameda police department standby their investigation.   Lt. Art Fuentes stated to the San Jose Mercury News, "This was text-book police work."

On Tuesday, November 27 a rally and press conference was held outside the City of Alameda Police Department to draw attention to the issue.   Mae Saecho, a parent of one of the boys who was falsely accused of murder, Sophie Rathamone, a student at Fremont High School who was interrogated by police, and Clifford Yee of Asian Health Services spoke at the rally.   "It was a really good rally.   If felt empowering to be able to call out the Alameda police department for what they did.   The families felt really good about it too," said Tran. The rally was attended by youth, families, and advocates from many Asian American organizations including Asian Law Caucus, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, and Lao Family Community Development Inc.

An ad-hoc coalition of Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice, Asian Health Services, and AYPAL organized the rally.   They are demanding that 1) there is an independent investigation of the Alameda police department, 2) there is redress for affected families, and 3) training and discipline for offending officers.