Australia apex student body asks varsities for info on deaths

Australia's apex student body has asked universities to provide information on circumstances surrounding the deaths of foreign students, including Indians, studying in the country and find the root causes behind it.

Australian Federation of International Students (AFIS) asked colleges and universities to provide the details of the deaths after federal government revealed that 51 foreign students had died in the 12 months upto November 2008, 34 of which are from unknown causes.

"Is it murder? Is it suicide? Because those are very important things that need to be addressed," Wesa Chau from AFIS said, adding "it was important to find the root causes of the deaths."

"In regards to the information provided to the international students, it's not enough, or information provided during orientation time which is basically information overload to international students. For example, regarding safety, a lot of international students are not aware of the spots that may be dangerous to them," he said.

'The Age' newspaper, however, reported that about 54 overseas students, nearly half of them Indians, died of various causes in Australia last year, but coroners were trying to suppress the details of the deaths.

The report, which comes amid a series of racial attacks targeting Indian students in Australia, claimed the toll is higher than the federal government has admitted.