Australian PM urges calm,warns off student vigilantes

He said while violence in all Australian cities was “a regrettable part” of urban life,vigilante action was equally unwelcome.

“I fully support hardline measures in response to any act of violence towards any student anywhere – Indian or otherwise,” he said.

“And furthermore we also need to render as completely unacceptable people taking the law into their own hands. Everyone needs just to draw some breath on this and we need to see a greater atmosphere of general calm,” he said.

Rudd’s remarks came close on the heels of acts of retaliation by the Indians following racial attacks on them.

Indian students have also formed groups to protect students from racial attacks.

On Tuesday night,over 70 Indian men gathered in Harris Park in Sydney’s west after rumours of a man being killed in an attack and assault on an Indian cleaner in Warwick Farm. Police arrested two men during the protest. One was charged with carrying a weapon,a metal pole,while the other was released without charge,a police statement said.

Indian students have organised rallies in Sydney and Melbourne,Australia’s two largest cities,in recent weeks demanding that authorities prevent racial attacks on them.

Rudd said students should report any acts of violence against them to police and if their complaints were not followed through,they should go to their local members of parliament.

“This is one of the safest countries in the world for international students,” the Australian prime minister said.

When asked whether the student protests signalled future racial tension in Australia,he said the nation had an inherent culture of tolerance.

“With each new wave of immigrants to this country there’s been debates and concerns and they’ve all faded and they’ve have all been resolved,” he said.

Meanwhile,Victorian Premier John Brumby and state police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland,who visited the troubled western area of Melbourne,also reassured the Indian students of their safety and security.

Overland,who admitted that some of the attacks on Indian students were “clearly racist in motivation,” announced a crackdown on crime at trouble-spot train stations after a spate of violent attacks.

“Some of the attacks were clearly racist in motivation and that violence is unacceptable and racism is unacceptable in any form,” Overland said,adding “We want to make it clear that everyone in Victoria is safe (and) protected as best we can.”

Overland and Premier John Brumby visited St Albans railway station in Melbourne’s west to announce a high-visibility operation targeting Sunshine,St Albans,Thomastown,Clayton and Dandenong.

“Today’s announcement is about saying whether you live here or whether you are a visitor here and studying here you will be safe,” Brumby said. Mounted police,dog squads and helicopter patrols will be used to crack down on crime.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith called on Indian students to be calm,echoing the calls from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Indian counterpart S M Krishna.

The Australian Government was working with the Indian High Commission and state police forces to bring the attackers to justice,Smith told ABC Television.

“It may well take some time to bring these matters entirely under control but we’re working very assiduously and closely with the Indian Government on it,” he said,adding “I simply echo the comments of my Indian counterpart- the time has now come for restraint,the time has come for calm.”

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that the governments will continue to work with Indian students to make sure they feel safe,but the community should not lose sight of the fact Australia is a welcoming nation.