By Jenni Fink
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A woman has reportedly taken ownership of a letter implying she would use weapons against Cambodian residents in Philadelphia because their fireworks were impeding her ability to sleep.
Police responded to a call from the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia (CAGP) on Monday after it reported receiving a threatening letter days earlier. On Wednesday, police found a 79-year-old woman who claimed to be the author, although she doesn't fit the profile of the person described in the letter, they said.
The letter claims the author was a former military member who had access to weapons and would use them if the fireworks did not stop. The Philadelphia Police Department told Newsweek she is not a former member of the military and doesn't appear to have weapons.
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CAGP Executive Director Sarun Chan told Newsweek that even if the author doesn't have access to firearms, it's "100 percent still a threat and 100 percent still ethnic intimidation."
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The letter, which was addressed to the CAGP, urged it to put an end to the fireworks being set off in Mifflin Square Park. If the Cambodian Americans are not forced to stop, the author said, the association will be to blame "when I do freak out and try to kill these people."
"It is your fault for not going to them and encouraging them (it is in their best interest) to STOP doing this and remain alive!" the letter said.
Chan noted that a diverse group of people use the park and that if there was a problem with fireworks, the author of the letter should have addressed people directly. The association, Chan said, has "no control over anyone else's lives or actions." He compared the situation to someone having a problem with a white person's actions and asking a Swedish museum to "tell their people to stop."
Along with being a gathering place for members of the community, the park is used by the CAGP for its summer camp. It changed the location of the camp after it received the threatening letter.
In the letter, the author claimed to be a veteran who served six years in the Marines and did four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and had "severe stress and anxiety," as well as "flashbacks and uncontrollable thoughts."
Given that none of the military service claims are true, according to police, the letter is "weaponizing mental health and the veteran community," Chan said.
Chan also put the threatening letter in the context of the current uptick in violence and threats against the Asian community in America, saying it "100 percent symbolizes" what's been going on the past year. An April report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found hate crimes surged by 169 percent in the first quarter of 2021, compared with the same period in 2020.
Regardless of whether charges are brought, Chan said the author needs mental wellness help and to do community service to connect with the community and learn about cultural differences.
In a letter to community members, the CAGP said it's taking the threat seriously and is working with law enforcement on investigating the letter. It asked community members to report any suspicious activity.
The CAGP is also seeking "accountability, acknowledgment and protection" of not only the Cambodian immigrant community but also the Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) communities in "underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods."
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