Melbourne, June 24
In the backdrop of increasing attacks on Indian students in Australia, a new survey has said 85 per cent of Australians feel racial discrimination is rampant in the country with one in five of them being a victim of verbal abuse.

An eleven-year study by a collaboration of Australian universities has found that a considerable number of the 16,000 Australians surveyed feel although cultural diversity is good for the country, the differences may stop everyone from getting along.

Over 40 per cent of those surveyed feel cultural differences pose a threat to societal harmony, Kevin Dunn from the University of Western Sydney's school of social science said. “The Cronulla riots and the recent attacks on people of Indian decent are an example of this. The figures show 85 per cent of Australians acknowledge there is racial prejudice in the country," he said.

"So if you take that alongside the 87 per cent that are pro-multiculturalism, clearly you've got a third of the nation’s citizens who tolerate cultural diversity but are concerned at the impact it will have on society," Dunn said.

The study also said 6.5 per cent of Australians are against multiculturalism.

RACE DISCRIMINATION: Dunn said he believed previous governments have done nothing to address the issue for the past decade with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma spending only part of his time dealing with race discrimination.

"For the last decade, the government hasn't appointed a full-time race discrimination commissioner," he said, adding "because of the severe underfunding of the commission, they're just unable to offer the sorts of services required."

The survey also found that at least one in five Australians experience verbal abuse such as offensive slang names for different cultural groups or swearing and offensive gestures, while 11 per cent feel they don't belong or are inferior, according to the survey as quoted by the 'Herald Sun' report today. — PTI