Australia Up Close Aussies Confront By CHELSEA McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
下院議員の差別発言が波紋 オーストラリアでは、ある下院議員の発言から人種問題の論争が巻き起こっています。「このままではオーストラリアはアジア人にのみ込まれてしまう」という発言は、アジア移民をはじめ政府、マスコミの批判を浴びています。しかし一方で、失業率や社会福祉費の高いオーストラリア国内で、一部の国民の支持を得てもいるのです。

Australian independent Member of Parliament Pauline Hanson has made media headlines Down Under almost every day over the past few months after she spoke out against the number of Asian immigrants living in Australia.

Ms. Hanson sparked controversy in her first speech to Parliament on September 10 when she said Australians are "in danger of being swamped by Asians." Since then the 42-year-old mother of four has been labeled a racist but has also generated support from some narrow-minded Australians. Some Australians fear that Asian immigrants place an increasing burden on Australia's welfare system at a time when unemployment is rising and technology is fast replacing jobs. However, this only reflects the negative side of the issue.

As a Member of Parliament for the electorate of Oxley, Ms. Hanson represents a region directly affected by the race and immigration issue. Her home town of Ipswich, a city outside Brisbane, is affected by large-scale unemsk,4 ployment, especially among young sk people. It is also home to many Asian immigrants who belong to a lower socio-economic group.

Australia has accepted a large number of immigrants in proportion to its population, with around 74,000 foreigners entering the country over the past year. Large ethnic populations tend to congregate in the suburbs of major cities and sometimes make little effort to integrate themselves into Australian society. Groups of Australians who object to this concentration of ethnic groups have jumped on the Hanson bandwagon even though they do not share her political concerns. It is these unthinking Australians who have turned the debate into a bitter dispute among different races living in Australia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad threatened on Dec. 17 to recall the more than 11,000 Malaysians studying in Australia, after hearing that a Malaysian woman studying at a Melbourne university was abused because of her race.

The university's vice-chancellor, David Beanland said, however, that a recall won't be necessary. He said, "Australian universities generally provide a very safe environment for Asian students and have been very effective in providing high quality education for them."

This issue is damaging for Australian universities, but it is even more damaging for Australia's relations with Asia. A poll conducted by one of Asia's leading business magazines, Far Eastern Economic Review, found that more than half of senior executives in Asia said the race debate has made Australia a less attractive place for investment. Australian tourism leaders have requested government funding for a A$25 million (¥2.3 billion) rescue package to restore Asian confidence in Australia.

Australian political leaders of every party took a clear stand against racism on Oct. 30 when they united to oppose racial intolerance. The Government has also set up a multicultural commission to investigate complaints of racial abuse.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge have denounced racist views, saying there is no room for racism in multicultural Australia. Mr. Howard praised the valuable contribution Asians living in Australia have made to the country through their commitment to individual freedom, small business and the strength of extended families.

The majority of Australians who have shared experiences with Asians through working or communicating with them welcome their presence. Australia is gradually loosening its ties to England and realizing its proximity to the Asia-Pacific region. Ms. Hanson's ideas are outdated, since most forward-thinking Australians are embracing our Asian neighbors and attempting to form good relations with them.

No Australian politicians have publicly supported Ms. Hanson. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said Ms. Hanson's views are simplistic and wrong: "You cannot build a narrow society in Australia and expect it to have any relevance to this region as we move toward the next century. If we embraced her views, our influence in the region would be non-existent, and it would be very damaging for us."

Even though Ms. Hanson's political interests and patriotic concerns are admirable, her diplomacy in addressing the issue failed. Her view is a simplistic approach to a sensitive and complex issue. She has failed to recognize the benefits of immigrants to Australia, both socially and economically. However, by putting the race issue on the political agenda, Ms. Hanson has made Australians confront it and address the problem of racial prejudice realistically.



Shukan ST: Jan. 17, 1997

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