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Horror racist attacks continue in Australia
by gan Saturday, Jan 16 2010, 7:32am
national / human rights / commentary

Attacks on Indians continue unabated in Victoria since the brutal stabbing death of Indian student Nitin Garg two weeks ago. The latest attacks occurred only 24 hours after an Australian man was sentenced to three months jail for racially vilifying and threatening an Indian taxi driver with his life. Two more Indian taxi drivers have been targeted in separate racist attacks in Ballarat. The assailants may have been motivated by 'one of their own' receiving a severe penalty for the ‘minor’ offence of threatening an Indian with his life -- we’ll show those curry-munchers what’s what ‘round ‘ere, mate!

Attacks on Indians in the State of Victoria have now taken on SERIAL proportions principally due to the failure of Victorian Police to address the racist nature of the crimes and the INABILITY of local and Federal government to effectively deal with the escalation of racially motivated attacks!

Until such time as the Prime Minister, Kevin ‘do nothing’ Rudd, faces the Truth behind these clearly racist attacks the Australian Indian community is not safe.

Government at State and Federal levels must first admit that racism is a problem and then outline steps to reduce or eradicate the problem altogether -- the imposition of deterrents in the form of severe penalties is essential in dealing with what is now a runaway problem!

It is IMPERATIVE that COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE is RESTORED as soon as possible. Comments from senior police insisting that the latest attacks are “opportunistic” rather than racially motivated only serve to foment more violence. Bigots and brutes in our society must not be encouraged by hesitant, vacillating police and politicians living in DENIAL. The problem has become a national and international DISGRACE.

Report from The Melbourne Age follows:

More Indian drivers assaulted in Ballarat
by Meg Rayner -- January 17, 2010

TWO Indian taxi drivers -- one of them a student -- have been attacked in Ballarat, just a day after a man was sentenced to three months jail for abusing and threatening to kill an Indian taxi driver.

One of the drivers said last night he feared he would be killed when he was attacked by four passengers.

Detectives were also investigating an incident in which another Indian taxi driver was threatened with a knife.

The attacks take the total of incidents involving Indian nationals in Ballarat to four in just three days.

Detective Senior Constable Jeff Highthorn said he believed the attacks were opportunistic rather than racially motivated.

The first incident happened just before midnight on Friday when the four men were picked up at Delacombe and driven to Birdwood Avenue.

''While he was driving they engaged the handbrakes and played with the gear lever and spat at him and verbally abused him, threatening to assault him.

''One of the rear passengers actually punched him around the head a number of times.''

Detective Senior Constable Highthorn said the driver activated the alarm and the assault continued after three of the youths jumped out of the car and the driver gave chase.

''They physically assaulted him, punching him around the upper body,'' he said. ''While they were doing that, one of the other offenders jumped into the driver's seat and drove the taxi about 500 metres down the road.''

A number of taxis and police, alerted by the alarm, soon arrived and the offenders fled. The driver's glasses had been smashed and he received bruising to his upper body and face. He was taken to Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital.

The second incident occurred about an hour later when another taxi was called to Birdwood Avenue. ''This time there were only two male offenders,'' Detective Senior Constable Highthorn said. ''And they also were skylarking around in the taxi and they fled from the taxi without paying. As they fled they produced a small knife.''

Police believe the two incidents are linked.

The driver, who is studying business administration in Ballarat, said he feared for his life but the attack would not stop him from driving taxis.

© 2010 Fairfax Digital

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COMMENTS

Continuing attacks threaten bilateral relations
by staff report via kumar - Reuters Saturday, Jan 16 2010, 7:51am

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian Foreign Minister warned his Australian counterpart Monday that failing to tackle attacks on Indians in Australia will "cast a shadow" over bilateral relations, an Indian government statement said.

New Delhi has launched diplomatic protests and travel warnings after a series of attacks on Indians since last year which the Indian media have labelled as racist, but which police and the government said were purely criminal.

Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith telephoned the Indian Foreign Minister, S.M. Krishna, condemning recent attacks, a statement said.

"(Krishna) recalled that Australian leaders had time and again, reassured India that the Australian authorities were treating the incidents of assaults with utmost seriousness. However, the incidents seem to be continuing," it said:

"He (Krishna) emphasized to the Australian Foreign Minister that non-redressal of this vital issue will cast a shadow on our otherwise excellent bilateral relations, and urged that the Australian government should immediately ensure that the concerned State police authorities deal with ongoing investigations with sensitivity and a sense of urgency."

The attacks have already damaged Australia's lucrative foreign student market, which is the country's third largest export earner, behind coal and iron ore, worth $13 billion (8 billion pounds) Australian dollars in 2007-08.

The number of Indian students wanting to study in Australia plummeted by 46 percent between July and October last year, according to Australian immigration department figures.

South Asians account for 19 percent of international students in Australia.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

© 2010 Thomson Reuters

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