Opposition lawmaker accuses Howard of being anti-Asian
Opposition lawmaker accuses Howard of being anti-Asian
Peter O'Connor, Associated Press, Canberra
A senior opposition lawmaker Wednesday accused Prime Minister John Howard of being anti-Asian and of squandering Australia's credibility in the region by playing deputy sheriff to the United States.
The claims came a day after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused Canberra of hypocrisy for telling Australians to avoid Asia for fear of terrorism, and as tensions rise with Jakarta over raids on Indonesian Muslims in Australia by security agencies in the wake of the Bali bombing.
Mahathir also again blocked Australia's bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing officials from the trade group which met this week in Cambodia.
Labor Party lawmaker and opposition trade spokesman, Craig Emerson, said Howard had a history of prejudice against Asia and Asians that was now showing in his government's trade and foreign policies -- which are focused primarily on links with Washington.
"It's time the prime minister re-engaged with Asia at all levels instead of squandering Australia's hard-won credibility by playing deputy sheriff in the region," Emerson told an audience of academics and students at Monash University in the southern city of Melbourne.
"And it's time the prime minister put Australia's national interest on trade policy ahead of his personal prejudices," he said.
A spokesman for Howard said the claims were "a dishonest slur from a desperate opposition willing to say anything to attract attention."
"It was not worthy of further comment," the spokesman said on usual condition of anonymity.
When his conservative coalition won power in 1996 Howard said the previous Labor government had been too preoccupied with Asia and that foreign policy had to be tilted back toward traditional allies like the United States and Britain.
Emerson said Howard had an "obsession" with striking a free trade deal with the United States that would discriminate against trading partners in East Asia, such as China and Japan. The government was also trying to exploit fear of terrorism in Asia for political purposes, he said.
"By turning its face to the United States and its back to Asia, the government seeks to secure the support of the Australian people at the next election in a world wracked by fear," Emerson said.
Howard has been criticized at home by opposition parties for his strong support of U.S. President George W. Bush's hardline position against Iraq. Howard has refused to rule out committing troops to a possible U.S. war in Iraq, even without United Nations backing.