Racism and forest fires

Racism and forest fires
21st Jan. 2002
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/01/21/racism-and-forest-fires.html

A lot of brouhaha was generated by the media about the punitive action recommended by match referee Mike Denness against five of six Indian cricket players for their (rather) routine actions on the field.
Most of the media people (and also laymen) in India considered that it was nothing but a clear case of latent racism because they felt that a different yardstick had been used when punishing players from the subcontinent than the one used against players from the UK, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, etc., for committing similar "crimes".
Media coverage of the recent major bushfires near Sydney brings out clearly that it is not only in the realm of cricket that racism is so prevalent.
When one compares the grossly negative and abrasive coverage given by the international media to fires in the forests of Kalimantan in 1997 (the year of El Nino) with the grossly bland coverage given to the fires in the forests near Sydney, can one reach any conclusion other than that this, too, seems to be a clear case of latent racism?
As the fires in Kalimantan were in Asia and due to the negligence and greed of profiteering Asians who had allegedly caused the fires deliberately, the story was given widespread, negative publicity, highlighting the irresponsible character of Asians.
This time, when it turns out that the fires near Sydney were also the handiwork of some irresponsible Australian youngsters, the international media seem to be handling this case with proverbial kid gloves. Is it because in this case the perpetrators of the crime are not greedy and irresponsible Asians?
K.B. KALE, Pune, India