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.
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TVTranscript
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.