E&OE
28 November 2008
Interview with Tony Eastley, ABC Radio AM
Subject: Mumbai attacks
EASTLEY: Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, is in London and he's been briefing journalists on what's known about Australians caught up in the terrorist attacks in India.
Stephen Smith, you've been in contact with your people in India. What's the latest on Australian victims there?
SMITH: Well, I can confirm one Australian casualty. I can say that we're very gravely concerned about a second possible Australian fatality. I'm not in a position to confirm that, but on the information I have, I'm gravely concerned about that.
EASTLEY: Does that involve a 70 year old, or a man in his 70s, also from Sydney?
SMITH: I'm not proposing to go into details, other than to say I'm gravely concerned that there may be a second casualty, or fatality. And then, of course, we have a number of Australians unaccounted for in the Oberoi Hotel. And we're desperately concerned about the fact that we're not in a position to vouchsafe for the safety and security of a number of Australians in the Oberoi Hotel or, indeed, who may have been in the Taj Mahal Hotel.
EASTLEY: Mr Smith, do you have any reports about Australians who may be wounded and under treatment in hospitals at the moment?
SMITH: We've got three Australians who are injured. On at least one occasion, through all of the hospitals in Mumbai, and on two occasions for some of them, our consular officers, our High Commission officers, have done the rounds, effectively, of the Mumbai hospitals. And my most recent advice, which was early this morning Australia time, there are no Australians in the hospitals.
And our officers have done that search very assiduously. So, our primary concern is the unaccounted for Australians in the Oberoi Hotel, in particular, where hostilities are continuing.
EASTLEY: But you said three Australians had been wounded, did you?
SMITH: Injured, yes.
EASTLEY: Oh, injured...
SMITH: Not life threatening.
EASTLEY: So there's no need to repatriate them for medical treatment at this stage?
SMITH: Not to my knowledge. My understanding is that their injuries are either superficial or such that can be treated there.
EASTLEY: Members of the New South Wales trade delegation are not all accounted for. Is there a fear that they could either being held hostage or merely sheltering in their rooms and out of contact?
SMITH: Well, again, I'm not proposing to go into detail or describe particular individual Australians. But there are a number of Australians who we fear may be in that position. We know our officers have been able to contact some people - some Australians in their hotel rooms. But we also are very gravely concerned about Australians who we believe are in the hotel, who we haven't been able to make contact with. So, yes, we have worries that there are Australians in that position.
EASTLEY: And, just briefly, Indian authorities say that these attacks have the hallmarks of foreign influence. Is that your understanding?
SMITH: Well, I think it's very early to be making judgements about where this attack has come from. We've seen a public claim by the so-called Deccan Mujahadeen, a group little known of. I've seen suggestions made that it may be, to use the phrase that the Indian Prime Minister used, external influences. I think it's early days.
What does concern me greatly about this attack is, firstly, it's sophisticated coordination, the number of attacks at different locations. And, secondly, for the first time in India, we see an attack which may well be primarily or exclusively aimed at westerners or foreigners and suggestions that it may have been aimed at people from the United Kingdom or the United States. That's a disturbing development.
EASTLEY: Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, in London.
[Ends]
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