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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000014 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM IN AS
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIAN STUDENTS: A PERSISTENT 
IRRITANT 
 
REF: A. CANBERRA 100 
     ¶B. CANBERRA 17 
     ¶C. MELBOURNE 114 
     ¶D. 09 MELBOURNE 89 
     ¶E. 09 MELBOURNE 65 
 
Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reasons 1.4(b,d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C/NF) Nerves are still raw in Melbourne over an ongoing 
series of attacks on Indian students.  What was initially a 
student issue is now causing concern for Melbourne's better 
established Indian communities.  Recent changes to 
Australia's immigration policy have not, however, sparked 
major protests among the Indian community here.  While 
student violence has evolved into a bilateral irritant 
between Australia and India and may become an election issue 
later this year, Australia remains committed to expanding 
relations with India.  End Summary. 
 
Tensions Persist 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (C/NF) Despite efforts at both the federal and state 
level, fallout continues from a series of attacks on Indians 
in Melbourne (reftels).  Indian Consul General to Melbourne 
Anita Nayar told Consul General Thurston on February 11 that 
violence against Indian students has become a bilateral issue 
for India and Australia.  According to Nayar, India's High 
Commissioner in Canberra is spending a growing proportion of 
her time managing this issue and frequently travels to 
Melbourne to meet with angry Indian students, the broader 
Indian communities and Victorian government officials.  Nayar 
considers the Victorian government's response to student 
violence to be inadequate, saying the government is "in 
denial" and has responded with too little effort, too late. 
 
¶3. (C/NF) Former Australian Consul General to Mumbai and 
prominent Melbourne businessman, Shabbir Wahid notes that 
concern over this issue is beginning to reach Melbourne's 
older and better established Indian communities, with some 
saying that they are reevaluating their long term plans to 
stay in Australia.  Consul General Nayar echoed these 
comments, saying that she now "looks over (her) shoulder" 
while walking around Melbourne's central business district. 
Despite threats to leave Australia, however, Indian students 
and families have not yet begun to do so. 
 
Muted Response to Immigration Policy Changes 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C/NF) Responses to Australia's February 8 changes to its 
immigration policy (Ref. A) among Melbourne's Indian 
communities have been muted.  Nayar suggested, however, that 
a strong response in both the local and Indian press will be 
forthcoming as soon as they find a "hook."  She conceded that 
a proviso permitting Indians to remain in Australia for 18 
months in order to find other forms of employment leading to 
permanent residency blunted a louder outcry. 
 
¶5. (C/NF) The "business of education" is an important 
component of the Australian economy.  The international 
education sector is Australia's third largest export, behind 
only iron ore and coal and is the state of Victoria's single 
largest export.  Monash University's Dr. Bob Birrell 
(Australia's preeminent scholar on population and migration 
studies) told post that he expects the February 8 immigration 
policy changes will lead to a significant reduction in the 
number of vocational facilities in Victoria with a 
commensurate decline in revenues in both the state and 
federal economies.  Most locals agree, however, that a 
culling of "dodgy" vocational schools -- such as commercial 
cooking schools without kitchens - is long overdue. 
 
Press Wranglers Wanted 
---------------------- 
 
¶6. (C/NF) Although there is a wide spectrum of opinions on 
whether racism is fueling the recent spate of violence 
against Indian students in Melbourne, most observers agree 
 
MELBOURNE 00000014  002 OF 002 
 
 
that the Victorian government has completely failed to manage 
the press on this issue.  Consul General Nayar told us that a 
visiting contingent of Indian journalists had already written 
their headline story "why they hate us" even before landing 
in Melbourne for a week-long study tour.  She went on to say 
that the Indian press is still enamored with this story and 
has paid interviewees well for their stories of woe.  There 
are some concerns that sensationalist press accounts are 
exacerbating what would have otherwise been a very manageable 
issue.  In addition, a series of unfortunate public comments 
including Victoria Police Chief Simon Overlander's statement 
that "the streets of Melbourne are safer than those in India" 
have only added to the problem. 
 
Why Melbourne? 
-------------- 
 
¶7. (C/NF) Local observers are split on why the issue of 
student violence has become Melbourne's albatross.  In a 
February 9 speech to federal Parliament, Foreign Minister 
Stephen Smith pointed out that half of visiting Indian 
students study in the state of Victoria, many of whom "find 
themselves in a higher risk profile for crime.  Many work 
late night shifts in occupations like taxi-driving where 
assaults can be more likely.  Many live in higher crime 
neighborhoods, often commuting to and from there late at 
night."  (Note: The full text of FM Smith's speech which also 
details expansion of relations with India can be found at 
http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/20 10/100209 
**LINK BREAK** 
 australia india.html  End note.)  While some accept this 
explanation, Nayar also blamed Victoria's legal system where 
a victim of a crime must present evidence effectively 
"proving" that a crime has taken place where other Australian 
states allow for prima facie investigation of a potential 
crime. 
 
¶8. (C/NF) Dr. Birrell believes that racism has indeed fueled 
the student violence issue.  A lack of affordable housing has 
pushed Indian students to farther flung suburbs with high 
concentrations of immigrants from Lebanon, Somalia and 
Vietnam.  While solid data is hard to come by, Birrell points 
out that the perpetrators of many of these crimes are not 
white Australians, but other first or second generation 
immigrants from these "tougher" countries.  Nayar pointed out 
that earlier attacks had been perpetrated by recently arrived 
immigrants, but more recent attacks have been carried out by 
"white Australians." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (C/NF) Although student violence is unlikely to derail 
Australian efforts to expand relations with India, it has 
become an irritant to a relationship which Foreign Minister 
Smith compared to a 20/20 cricket match: "short bursts of 
enthusiasm followed by lengthy periods of inactivity." 
Despite a recent burst of enthusiastic effort by the 
Victorian government, many of our contacts believe this issue 
is likely to drag on for at least several more months and 
could potentially grow into an election issue for both the 
federal and Victorian governments later this year. 
 
THURSTON