Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) acting director for child rights Priscilla Thawe has asked people in Mchinji District to protect the rights of children.

She made the call on Saturday during a meeting with traditional leaders, police officers and officials from the social welfare office at Kamwendo Teacher Development Centre in Mchinji.

Thawe said the commission was shocked with child abuse incident allegedly committed by a Chinese named Lu Ke, also known as Susu, who featured children from Njewa in Lilongwe in his videos for commercial purposes.

She said the commission is conducting sensitisation meetings to make communities aware of child abuse and exploitation.

Thawe speaks during the meeting

“After the Susu child exploitation social media hype, having conducted our investigations, we engaged local communities and other stakeholders to sensitise them to child rights, abuse and exploitation,” said Thawe.

She said from the Susu case, the commission noted that parents, children and other community leaders were not aware that the Chinese’s acts constitute gross child rights violations.

Group village head Chalilima from Traditional Authority Zulu said the meeting was an eye-opener on how to track and report child abuse cases.

He said: “The meeting is also a reminder that traditional leaders have a greater role to ensure that they treat visitors with caution.

“I am happy that MHRC has enlightened us on child rights issues after the Susu incident. What happened was wrong and some of us had little knowledge to deem what the Chinese was doing as a violation of child rights,” he said.

Mchinji district social welfare officer Joyce Malika said her office will work with the community to facilitate human rights training in schools.

“We have gathered that a number of children around Chalilima where Susu once operated from quit school hoping to make money with him.

Susu was exposed through a British Broadcasting Corporation documentary.

He was arrested by the Malawi Government and is standing trial.

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