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Australia
one of safest countries in world for students: Rudd
Canberra
(Australia): Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has described his country
as one of the safest places for students and warned that vigilante action in response
to attacks against foreign students, will not be tolerated. "It's unacceptable
for anyone to commit an act of violence against any student of any ethnicity anywhere
in Australia," Rudd told Fairfax Radio. "Everyone needs just to draw some breath
on this and we need to see a greater atmosphere of general calm," The Australian
quoted him as saying further. 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. When asked whether the student
protests signalled future racial tension in Australia, Rudd 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, Victoria Police have responded to calls from Indian
students who fear for their safety by launching a major crackdown on crime at
train stations in Melbourne.
