Krishna 'distressed' due to attacks on Indians in Australia

Expressing "distress" over the spate of attacks on Indians in Australia, external affairs minister SM Krishna has said he hoped that a high-level committee set up by Canberra to comprehensively study the issue would take a "serious view" of such incidents.

"I would like to condemn unequivocally the attacks on Indian students being repeated over and over again. This has distressed me, because just yesterday we had a long talk with Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith.

"And even before the high-level committee is due to meet sometime tomorrow or day after (to look into the issue), some more (attacks) have taken place. So, I think the high-level committee should take a serious view," Krishna told reporters after his meeting with Smith, their second in two days here.

During their meeting yesterday, on the sidelines of a global conference on Afghanistan hosted by British prime minister Gordon Brown, Krishna is understood to have conveyed India's displeasure over continuing attacks against the community members despite assurances from the Australian government.

The meeting came as four more Indian youths — three cabbies and a pizza delivery boy — were attacked in Brisbane.

Under pressure from India, Australia earlier this week set up a high-level ministerial working group to comprehensively study the spate of attacks on Indians in the country.

Over 100 incidents of attacks on Indians, particularly students, were reported in 2009 in Australia, and the assaults have continued this year unabated.