Foreign Minister Penny Wong concerned over alleged Indian campaign against Sikh Separatist in Australia

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The foreign minister says she's raised concerns with her Indian counterpart about accusations made by Canada’s government over an alleged campaign targeting Sikh separatists on its soil.

Transcript

00:00People might remember last month there was an incredible diplomatic dispute between Canada

00:07and India.

00:08This is over allegations which Canada has made that India has orchestrated a campaign

00:13targeting Sikh or pro-Khalistan dissidents on Canadian soil, in particular alleging that

00:19India was behind the assassination of a very prominent pro-Khalistan activist, someone

00:25that India had listed as a terrorist.

00:27Canada believes that what it's seeing from India is a campaign of intimidation.

00:32Now, it's worth noting that India has denied these allegations, but Canada has been working

00:37assiduously, particularly with Western countries, to try and draw support behind it.

00:42It's also said that it's very important that the rule of law applies.

00:47So clearly what it's trying to do is draw in Western partners behind it, trying to isolate

00:52best as it can India, in an attempt to draw a red line around this sort of behaviour.

00:58So Penny Wong raised this issue today when she met her Indian counterpart?

01:02She did.

01:03Now, Australia hasn't been as forceful on this subject as the United States has.

01:07We've seen over the last couple of weeks in particular, senior US officials repeatedly

01:11say they're very concerned about exactly what's happened.

01:14They urge India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation.

01:19Australia hasn't gone quite that hard, but Penny Wong, when she was asked about this

01:23matter after a meeting with Dr S Jaishankar, India's external affairs minister, did say

01:28that Australia had raised concerns.

01:30She also explicitly mentioned the word sovereignty, saying Australia's principled position was

01:37that sovereignty should be respected.

01:39That seemed like a pretty clear signal to India.

01:41Now, India, for its part, has forcefully denied Canada's allegations.

01:46It says Canada is making accusations that it cannot back up with evidence.

01:51It's also accused Canada of fostering extremism, in particular pro-Khalistan extremists who

01:57have targeted members of the Hindu community and Indian diplomats on Canadian soil.

02:02Let's take a listen to that exchange with both the foreign minister, Penny Wong, and

02:06Dr S Jaishankar, India's external affairs minister, broaching this very fraught and

02:11delicate topic.

02:13In relation to Australia's Sikh community, I would say the same thing I said to, I think

02:20it's Jay, isn't it?

02:24People have a right to be safe and respected, regardless of who they are in our country.

02:30That's the essence of our multicultural democracy.

02:34We've made clear our concerns about the allegations under investigations.

02:38We've said that we respect Canada's judicial process.

02:43We convey our views to India, as you would expect us to do, and we have a principled

02:50position in relation to matters such as the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary,

02:58and also, frankly, the sovereignty of all countries.

03:03Canada has developed a pattern of making allegations without providing specifics.

03:12Secondly, when we look at Canada, for us, the fact that they're putting our diplomats

03:20under surveillance is something which is unacceptable.

03:24Third, the incidents which the gentleman there spoke about, and do look at the video, I think

03:34they would tell you, in a way, the political space today which is being given to extremist

03:40forces there.

03:41So we believe in freedoms.

03:43We also believe freedom should not be misused.

03:47And have we had a talk about it?

03:49Exactly on the lines which I've spoken.

03:53Now Ros, it's worth noting, of course, the Australia-India relationship is a very broad

03:58and deep one.

03:59Both sides remain very optimistic about its trajectory over the long run, and there's

04:03no sign, at least at this stage, that this dispute with Canada is going to seriously

04:08disrupt the Australia relationship with India in any serious way.

04:13Nonetheless, it is a point of difference, potentially a point of tension, and one absolutely

04:18worth keeping an eye on.

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