Media Release from Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW Inc

The killing of Mr Magno Alvarado last Saturday in Cronulla and the arrest of a young man for allegedly bashing the elderly man to death in a drunken race-hate crime clearly shows that much work still needs to be done to combat racism by governments and by community organisations.

Australia is clearly a less racist and more accepting nation that it was half a century ago but some sections of our community have failed to embrace this. A very small minority continues to hold extreme racist views that are condemned by most Australians and by the international community.

Australia's international reputation has been tarnished by the many recent acts of racial violence and by the public ridicule of differing ethnic communities by the media. These incidents have come at a time when much good work is being done to reconcile with indigenous Australians and improve our treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.

The Ethnic Communities Council trusts that our State, Federal and Local Governments will all continue with an even greater commitment to promote the wonderful benefits to society and business that multiculturalism has brought to Australia, and that our Police Force will take a renewed vigour in combating all racist sentiments and violence.

Sutherland Shine has continued to experience race related attitudes and crime since the Cronulla riots of 2005. While Sutherland Shire Council has attempted to develop programs to reach out to other local council areas and communities within Sydney, the Council needs to do much more to combat racist and confrontationist attitudes held within the Shire.

The Ethnic Communities Council extends its condolences to the family of Mr Alvardo and to the Filipino community in Sydney and trusts that the justice system can deal with the matter expeditiously to reduce the hurt this is no doubt causing to many people.