AFP - Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on Thursday condemned a wave of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne after the latest assault left a 25-year-old fighting for his life.
Indian student Sravan Kumar Theerthala was stabbed with a screwdriver early Sunday morning when a group of teenagers gatecrashed a party he was attending in the suburbs of Australia's second largest city.
He remains in intensive care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital following the attack, in which police said other men were also assaulted.
It was the latest in a series of attacks on students from the sub-continent which has prompted authorities here to set up a help line where victims can report incidents to Hindi and English-speaking operators.
"I'm appalled by these attacks and I condemn them absolutely," Smith said in a statement to AFP.
"Australia takes very seriously its reputation as a safe destination for Indian students."
Smith said the problem was centred around one location in Melbourne, which he did not identify.
However, Victoria state police estimate Indians make up 30 percent of robbery victims in Melbourne's western suburbs, where many of the students live.
The foreign minister was responding to a strongly-worded statement from Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna saying he was "appalled" at the attack on Theerthala and his fellow students.
Krishna said India's High Commissioner (ambassador) to Australia Sujatha Singh had rushed to Melbourne to ensure the student received the best possible medical care and ensure authorities did their utmost to bring the attackers to justice.
"We will also impress upon the Australian authorities that such attacks should not be permitted and that it is their responsibility to ensure the well-being and security of our students studying in Australia," he said in a statement.
Police set up a community liaison group in January to examine the issue after an armed robbery in a convenience store left an Indian man in a coma.
They have also boosted numbers on a robbery taskforce in Melbourne's western suburbs and are considering sending officers to Indian cities to educate Australia-bound students about how to minimise the risk of being attacked.
But police have played down any racial motive for the attacks, saying the Indian students, who often work late shifts to support their studies, were often in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A police media statement issued on the day of the Theerthala attack made no mention of the victim's Indian background and portrayed the incident as a simple clash between partygoers.
Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA) president Amit Menghani said earlier this month that he had no doubt there was a racial element to recent attacks.
"Discrimination is always there," Menghani said.
"Indian students are being targeted and attacked. The level of crime is increasing and it's a concern for the student community."
He said Indian students were seen as easy targets because "we're humble people and we don't carry any weapons".
Indians form the second largest group of overseas students in Australia, a sector that is the country's third largest export earner, reaping 15.5 billion dollars (12.1 billion US) in 2008.
But Menghani said Indians would examine studying elsewhere if they did not feel safe in Australia. The violence has already prompted headlines such as "Australia land of racism" in Indian online media.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week said she would meet with students to discuss the issue.
"Reports of any violence or discrimination directed at international students can do much damage to our international reputation as a welcoming country," she told parliament.
"I want to send a message loud and clear that international students are very welcome in this nation and Australia will not tolerate discrimination against or victimisation of any of our international students."
Indian student Sravan Kumar Theerthala was stabbed with a screwdriver early Sunday morning when a group of teenagers gatecrashed a party he was attending in the suburbs of Australia's second largest city.
He remains in intensive care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital following the attack, in which police said other men were also assaulted.
It was the latest in a series of attacks on students from the sub-continent which has prompted authorities here to set up a help line where victims can report incidents to Hindi and English-speaking operators.
"I'm appalled by these attacks and I condemn them absolutely," Smith said in a statement to AFP.
"Australia takes very seriously its reputation as a safe destination for Indian students."
Smith said the problem was centred around one location in Melbourne, which he did not identify.
However, Victoria state police estimate Indians make up 30 percent of robbery victims in Melbourne's western suburbs, where many of the students live.
The foreign minister was responding to a strongly-worded statement from Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna saying he was "appalled" at the attack on Theerthala and his fellow students.
Krishna said India's High Commissioner (ambassador) to Australia Sujatha Singh had rushed to Melbourne to ensure the student received the best possible medical care and ensure authorities did their utmost to bring the attackers to justice.
"We will also impress upon the Australian authorities that such attacks should not be permitted and that it is their responsibility to ensure the well-being and security of our students studying in Australia," he said in a statement.
Police set up a community liaison group in January to examine the issue after an armed robbery in a convenience store left an Indian man in a coma.
They have also boosted numbers on a robbery taskforce in Melbourne's western suburbs and are considering sending officers to Indian cities to educate Australia-bound students about how to minimise the risk of being attacked.
But police have played down any racial motive for the attacks, saying the Indian students, who often work late shifts to support their studies, were often in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A police media statement issued on the day of the Theerthala attack made no mention of the victim's Indian background and portrayed the incident as a simple clash between partygoers.
Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA) president Amit Menghani said earlier this month that he had no doubt there was a racial element to recent attacks.
"Discrimination is always there," Menghani said.
"Indian students are being targeted and attacked. The level of crime is increasing and it's a concern for the student community."
He said Indian students were seen as easy targets because "we're humble people and we don't carry any weapons".
Indians form the second largest group of overseas students in Australia, a sector that is the country's third largest export earner, reaping 15.5 billion dollars (12.1 billion US) in 2008.
But Menghani said Indians would examine studying elsewhere if they did not feel safe in Australia. The violence has already prompted headlines such as "Australia land of racism" in Indian online media.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week said she would meet with students to discuss the issue.
"Reports of any violence or discrimination directed at international students can do much damage to our international reputation as a welcoming country," she told parliament.
"I want to send a message loud and clear that international students are very welcome in this nation and Australia will not tolerate discrimination against or victimisation of any of our international students."
