Some attacks were racist: Aussies

NEW DELHI: Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith on Wednesday admitted that some attacks against Indians in Australia were racist.

Mr Smith, who held consultations with external affairs minister S M Krishna on Wednesday, acknowledged that the attacks were taking a toll on Australia’s image in India.

“I acknowledge absolutely that this issue has caused considerable damage to Australia's reputation among Indian people. We have to work very hard to address that. We have to be open, transparent and upfront about that,” Mr Smith told reporters.

“We know that a number of these assaults are racist and have racial overtones. These are absolutely contemptible. We are doing a range of things in future to better portray modern Australia. We want to underline the strength of relationship between India and Australia,” Mr Smith added.

Saying that the issue should not be allowed to affect bilateral ties, Mr Smith revealed that the Australian Institute of Criminology—which deals with criminal justice research—is studying the attacks and the government’s response to the attacks.

"Our police authority in Australia does not keep statistics on the basis of nationality. It has been difficult to do an exhaustive statistical analysis of the assaults. The institute will do the study to get a better understanding of the issue," he said.

"We want to see whether the Institute of Criminology can give us a deeper and further understanding to make sure that we are responding in a every possible way and that we are doing everything that we can.”

India has largely expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by Australia. Mr Krishna told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply said that over 100 Indians were attacked in Australia since May 2009. He added that some of the incidents could have racial overtones.

“While we continue to receive reports of sporadic attacks on Indians in Australia, there does not appear to be any evidence to indicate a persistent rise," Mr Krishna said. The minister also said that the government had not dissuaded Indian students from going to Australia, but advised certain basic precautions.