In 2004, the Australian government sanctioned the spying by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) on an East Timorese cabinet meeting discussing a treaty to be struck with Australia over the rights and royalties for drilling of natural gas in East Timor’s territorial waters. In December 2013, this spying became public and East Timor launched a case in The Hague to have a $40 billion oil and gas treaty it signed with Australia ripped up, alleging Australia had the advantage in negotiations because of the spying. Never before has Australia been called to answer questions about spying in such a forum. Just days before the case was to be heard, ASIO officers raided the Canberra office of the lawyer preparing the case for East Timor and cancelled the passport of the key witness; a retired spy expected to give evidence in the Netherlands. Previously, the lawyer had sought witness protection for the witness. Usually you only need witness protection if you give evidence against organized crime or bikie gangs, thugs, mafia or the triads; not the Australian government. The Attorney-General confirmed he approved the warrants to conduct the raid but denied it was done to affect the arbitration at The Hague. And the Prime Minister Tony Abbott defended the ASIO raid, saying it was “done in the national interest.” It is very concerning that an Australian law firm defending someone against government actions can have their offices raided and evidence removed. Of more concern is that they got ASIO to do the raid. If laws were broken it is surely a police matter; operating openly and in accordance with the law, not a spy agency operating in secret and accountable to no-one. This type of activity was used by totalitarian regimes and loudly condemned by democratic governments – including Australia – on the world political stage. The Nazis did it in Germany in the 1930s and, during the Cold War, pro-Soviet governments could arrest and detain anyone for as long as they liked, without trial or even being told what they were accused of, because it was “in the national interest”. Even today, places like China and North Korea are still accused of similar behavior. Now, the Australian government is doing exactly the same thing. This is the thin edge of the wedge and if the Australian government gets away with it because Australian people do not bring them to task, they will keep doing it and it will get worse. DO NOT BE DECEIVED! The more power you give politicians, the more rights they will take away from you.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 01:58:08 +0000
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