New South Wales government to meet with Indian community leaders

Sydney, June 3 (ANI): The New South Wales Government will convene a meeting with Indian community leaders and police amid international disquiet over attacks on foreign students in Australia.

NSW Premier Nathan Rees told the NSW parliament that he would convene a meeting involving representatives from the Indian student community, the education sector and Community Relations Commission chair Stepan Kerkyasharian.

"No one who calls NSW home should walk the streets in fear, especially those who are our guests," Rees said.

"The NSW government shares the concern expressed by the Commonwealth," he added.

Police Minister Tony Kelly, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and Citizenship Minister Virginia Judge will also attend the meeting.

India's consul general and a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade representative will also be invited.

"Attacks on international students are deplorable in every way, as we've seen in Victoria recently," Rees told parliament.

Rees said a ministerial taskforce established to look into international education would examine student safety.

He acknowledged that the international education sector pumped in about 5.3 billion dollars into the state's economy each year, sustaining 47,000 jobs.

The 20,000 Indian students studying in NSW deserved to be treated as guests not just "revenue statistics," he said. (ANI)