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| Down Under |
| Indian MP cancels Aussie visit |
| 2005-04-08 |
| INDIAN parliamentary Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has cancelled his planned visit to Australia after the Howard Government refused to waive security measures for the MP and his wife, who has a pacemaker. In what has become another international incident arising from Australia's strict border security requirements, Mr Chatterjee said the measures showed a lack of trust by authorities in Canberra, and was tantamount to an insult to Delhi. Mr Chatterjee, 75, a member of the Communist Party of India, was due to fly to Sydney today with his wife for a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association ahead of Delhi's hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He asked Australian authorities if security measures could be waived for Renu Chatterjee, but cancelled his trip after being told that he too would have to undergo security checks, including walking through a metal detector and the possibility of being frisked and asked to empty his pockets. The Chatterjees were offered private screenings. It is understood that India exempts international heads of state and parliamentary speakers from security procedures. Mr Chaterjee said it was a sad day when parliamentary speakers were not trusted. "What is the good of (Governments) if we do not respect each other," he said. Mr Chatterjee said the US did not require screening during a visit last year, and said he was afforded similar privileges in Britain and Malaysia. Speaker of the House of Representatives David Hawker last night said he was not aware of the incident. "I remember (former US ambassador) Tom Schieffer saying that he was security checked whenever he returned to the US," Mr Hawker said. A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed the Australian Government had offered a private security screening to Mr Chatterjee's wife. "They've chosen not to accept it," the spokesman said. "We explained that's entirely a matter for them. "We explained that everyone who comes (to Australia) is subject to our country's security. That's a non-discriminatory policy. That is what the Australian public would expect, it's the law of Australia, there are no exceptions. Our own Government leaders are themselves subject to the security checks." Papua New Guinea has also branded as undignified, and a breach of diplomatic conventions, an episode in which Prime Minister Michael Somare was asked to take off his shoes after he set off a security alarm at Brisbane airport last month. But John Howard downplayed the incident yesterday, saying his wife, Janette, routinely took off her shoes when she was going through security at airports. "She takes her shoes off because often she's wearing shoes that have got a metal band in them," the Prime Minister told Melbourne radio. "She just automatically takes her shoes off, plonks them in that little container like everybody else and goes through. "If I go to another country and I'm asked to go through an X-ray machine, I'm only too happy to do so. I frankly believe that these are things that if it's good enough for the rest of the community, it's good enough for the Prime Minister." He said it was unlikely PNG would refuse $800million in aid from Australia over the incident, despite reports yesterday. PNG has cancelled high-level talks with Australia, which were due to take place next week. "This is an incident we'll just have to work through," Mr Howard said. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |