for Social Equality

• Rental dispute: a Chinese student in Leiden faced a disproportionately high penalty in a rental dispute, severely impacting her financial stability and right to a decent life. The penalty, imposed for alleged breaches of the rental agreement, exceeds reasonable limits. I helped the student to negotiate a fair reduction and an equitable resolution.

• Animal abuse dispute: a Chinese family was accused of animal neglect during holidays, with claims of leaving their pets unattended. Feeling targeted and unheard by their community, they sought my help. I advised their engagement with local media and mediators, enabling dialogue with neighbours to address concerns and rebuild mutual understanding.

• Loan dispute: a Chinese woman was involved in a loan dispute with her former partner, who claimed that money borrowed for his studies in Amsterdam was a gift, not a loan. Dutch procedural limits restricted legal action. I assisted her in collecting valid evidence and devising a negotiation strategy that involved the university where he studied to reclaim her money.

• Labour dispute: a Chinese woman was denied a contract conversion from apprentice to an employee at a Dutch company after announcing her pregnancy. She believed this decision was discriminatory. I provided legal advice on potential violations of anti-discrimination laws and advised her in preparing a case before the Dutch Human Rights Tribunal. 

• Defamation dispute: a Chinese student in Delft was accused of damaging a restaurant's reputation after posting a negative online review. The claimant felt discriminated against. I advised him to communicate with the restaurant, emphasising that the review fell within the scope of freedom of expression, which is protected under Dutch and EU law. 

• Discrimination dispute: I, with my co-applicant (a resident of Rotterdam with Chinese nationality), submitted a formal complaint to the Dutch Human Rights Tribunal in 2021. 

The adjudication panel decided in 2022 that the defendant (a Dutch business entity) discriminated against us by labelling us as "different" and implying negative stereotypes in responses on Google Review. The statements, linked to the restaurant's services, violated Articles 1 and 7 of the General Equal Treatment Act.  

• This is the first anti-discrimination legal action brought by the Chinese in the Netherlands that won the case, garnering over 200,000 views on leading Chinese news portals Paper and Tencent: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_18659732