Aus leader expresses concern over attack on Indians

Seeking support for immigration and population growth policy Down Under, Australian opposition party leader has expressed serious concerns over possibility of Indians being victims of racially motivated crime.

"The last thing any Australian would want would be to make recent immigrants feel unwelcome, and expressed concern at the possibility Indians had become the victims of racially motivated crime," Tony Abbot was quoted as saying in a report in The Age.

"This would be worse than a law enforcement problem. It would be an affront to our self-perception as a society where people are judged on their merits rather than on their skin colour," he said.

Conversely, the rise of ethnic gangs and perception of ethnic street crime threaten the understanding that migration should be overwhelmingly a net benefit to Australia.

He warned that the rise of ethnic gangs and perception of ethnic street crime threaten public support for immigration.

The Opposition Leader, in a speech supporting population growth, immigration, and a strong border-protection policy, challenged ethnic leaders to show greater respect for Australian values.

"It would help to bolster public support for immigration and acceptance of social diversity if more minority leaders were as ready to show to mainstream Australians values the respect they demand for their own," he said.