Satya Nadella 'appalled' by hate crimes against Asian-Americans

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on Saturday that he is "appalled" by the ongoing acts of hate crime against Asian-Americans and the Asian community globally.

"Racism, hate and violence have no place in our society. I am united with the Asian and Asian American community in standing against this injustice," Nadella said in a tweet.

His comments came after US President Joe Biden on Thursday condemned what he called "vicious hate crimes" targeting Asian-Americans since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying such acts must stop.

A new study has found that there was nearly a 150 per cent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes across major cities in the US in 2020, while overall hate crimes fell by 7 per cent.

The study, titled "Report to the Nation: Anti-Asian Prejudice & Hate Crime", has been conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) at the California State University, San Bernardino.

In his first primetime speech as US President, Biden said that there have been vicious hate crimes against Asian-Americans, who have been "attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated" during the pandemic.

"At this very moment, so many of them, our fellow Americans, they're on the frontlines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still, they are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America," he said while addressing the nation.

"It's wrong. It's un-American and it must stop," he added.

Several other US lawmakers have condemned the hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

"I want to condemn the violence happening against Asian-Americans in the strongest words possible," said Congressman Donald M Payne.

"Hate and violence have no place in America. These attacks are cowardly attempts. We need to come together as a country and that includes all Americans," he added.

In a statement, Microsoft said that the company "is united with the Asian community globally and is committed to taking action to help confront racial injustice".