Melbourne, July 01: Australian authorities have suppressed the details of the deaths of more than 50 overseas students in their country within a year; nearly half of them were Indian. There is evidence to indicate that the death toll is higher than what the Federal Government has admitted, a local daily claimed.
State and territory coroners have refused the data on the deaths of overseas students in the year to November 2008 saying information would not be made public because it was not exhaustive. “The nationality and occupation of someone who has died is not required to record,” a spokeswoman for Victorian Coroner Jennifer Coate was quoted by The Age.
The refusal came after the National Coroners Information System previously indicated that the information would be made available to the newspaper.
International education expert fear that Australia is masking the sufferings of international students to protect Australia’s lucrative $16 billion education sector.
“All countries that compete for the education market should be reporting that information,” said Monash University business professor Chris Nyland.
The revelations came as controversy continued regarding the death of Rajat Garg, a student from Punjab who was found dead on railway tracks in Melbourne. Victorian police termed the death as suicide. Garg’s parents are contesting this claim. The Australian media refrains from reporting suicides. Consequently, anything which police terms as suicide stays below the media radar. Of the total 51 deaths in that year, at least 34 students died of “unknown” reasons, while 14 died in accidents and three from illness.
The Age reported that the death toll was higher that 51 with most coming from India, Korea and China. Indian students, who hold one-fifth of student visas, constituted half of the total victims.
Meanwhile, attacks on Indian student continued despite a series of public relations blitz organised by Victorian Police. A Sikh student was on Monday attacked in Melbourne where his assailants removed his turban and tried to cut-off his hairs. Two men in Tasmania were charged on Tuesday over the murder of 26-year-old Chinese student.
At least three international students have died in violent attacks in the past 12-months. Among them was an 18-year-old Chinese girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted in her house at knife-point before she and her boyfriend fell from the balcony in Sydney.
Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA) Spokesperson Gautam Gupta said that anyone who says everything is alright in Australia should think again. “Don’t try to brush this issue under the carpet.”
–Agencies