HELSINKI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo issued a formal apology on Wednesday over the racist gestures posted online by Finnish politicians and celebrities toward Asian people, while the parliamentary group of the Finns Party on Thursday reprimanded two of its lawmakers for sharing the photos.
Although the apology and the party's disciplinary move addressed the immediate controversy, Finnish media and political figures said the broader debate over responsibility and repercussions has not subsided.
Orpo's message, published on the social media channels of Finland's embassies in China, Japan and South Korea, said that he "sincerely apologizes" for offensive social media posts by certain members of parliament, that the posts "do not reflect Finland's values of equality and non-discrimination," and that "racism and discrimination have no place in Finnish society."
The Finns Party, a partner in Orpo's four-party coalition government, said it had issued a "serious reprimand" to Members of Parliament Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew. Jani Makela, chair of the Finns Party parliamentary group, told local media the caucus had concluded the images "should not have been published" and that the lawmakers had been warned not to repeat the conduct.
The lawmakers posted photos last week in which they pulled back the corners of their eyes -- a gesture widely regarded as racist toward Asian people.
The episode built on an earlier controversy involving Sarah Dzafce, who had lost her Miss Finland title after a widely shared social media image showed the same racist gesture. Dzafce later apologized and told Finnish media that the image was private and that a friend posted it without her consent, though her apology was considered "insincere."
The controversy, drawing condemnation across parts of Asia and even globally, has also triggered wide criticism domestically. Many people said on social media that the incident humiliated the country.
"It is an irresponsible, childish, stupid act. It is obvious that it offends people," a Finnish politician told national broadcaster Yle earlier.
The incident has renewed debate over how politicians' online behavior can affect Finland's international image. Sakari Puisto, the minister of Economic Affairs, told parliament on Thursday that the reputational fallout had already affected national trade and commercial activities. Finnair, Finland's national carrier, said the controversy had negatively affected its international operations.
Domestic debate also continued over whether the political response had been sufficient. A commentary published by Yle on Thursday said Finnish groups and institutions reacted too slowly, and questioned the credibility of the apologies issued by those involved. It also argued that a deeper reckoning would be difficult as long as party representatives blurred the line between racist behavior and "entertainment and memes."
Tytti Tuppurainen, chair of the Social Democratic parliamentary group and a member of the Finnish parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, pointed out late Thursday that "This racism uproar has not been totally dealt with yet." ■