“Admit it, and let’s move on”: Rex Patrick on Australia’s East Timor spying

The Howard Government has been 21 years since Timor-Leste spying the sea border negotiation team, but the national archives refuse to even keep the documents about espionage. Rex Patrick His doubts about the fact that the espionage occurs.

In 2004, the Australian Secret Intelligence Agency spied to Timor’s Naval Border Negotiation Team and tried to defraud the right to access and benefit from the world’s newest and most poorest country from its own resources.

The espionage took place despite the Australian government’s commitment to negotiate the sea border in good faith.

On January 12, 2006, a Naval Border Agreement was signed between Australia and Timor. However, Timoresese had knowledge about espionage and after he approached the Australian government in a failed way to solve the problem, he began to judge to overthrow the fraudulently negotiated treaty in the Permanent Court in The Hague. In their claims, they said:

“Conditions… During the negotiation of the 2006 Treaty between Timor-Leste and Australia in 2004, Australia has confidential to the Timor-Leste negotiation team, and to be aware of the special debates of special debates in Timor-Leste Government Offices. attempt to change by preparing… “

Although Australia had malicious behavior and espionage, Timor-Leste, Timor-Leste, who entered Timor-Leste and hides the real and illegal purpose of his visits, and continued to blame the Timor-Leste region to violate the law of Timor-Leste.

He also added that the Australian Embassy in these actions is incompatible with the Vienna diplomatic relations contract.

A voice for Timor and noticers continues a good war

Witness ‘K’

On December 3, 2013, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization raided Timor’s legal representative Bernard Collaery and Australian Secret Intelligence Service, a former officer of the Hidden Intelligence Service, and the ‘K’, the customer of Collaery lawyers, and seized legal documents on arbitration.

Raids led to new transactions in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to save Timor’s illegal legal documents. The documents discussed include previous versions of a declaration made by witness ‘K’. According to the documents filed by Timor in ICJ,

“The declaration describes the hidden mistakes of the Timor-Leste Cabinet Chamber in 2004 on the instructions of the Australian officials. This statement was the basic evidence in the arbitration of the Timor Naval Treaty:

A month later, on January 31, 2014, the Australian government asked the Arbitration Court not to allow the evidence of ‘K’ to be given. The Australian government also confirmed in official applications in ICJ transactions:

“The facts where the current dispute returned is the actions of Mr. Collaery and one of his customers. ‘K’Australia has created serious threats for their lives and national security. “

The defense line in Australia focused on the right of the states, and that the seizure of documents was used to protect Australian national security of Australia. This ‘protection’ focuses on the laws enacted to prohibit the announcement of national security information.

The accusations of the collected criminal actions include crimes in accordance with the Intelligence Services Law and the Penal Code.

Criminal charges against witnesses

After the ICJ process started, both ICJ and arbitration cases were suspended for consultations that want to solve the differences between Australia and Timor-Leste. Both of them Finally, the proceedings were stopped and the two countries reached an agreement on an agreement that limits the sea border and deals with the legal status of the larger sunrise gas field.

After a new maritime border agreement was signed, the witness was accused against ‘K’. The accusations are explained in the summary of the facts in the Magistrate Criminal Court of the Law.

“Witness k Between 1 February 2013 and November 20, 2013, in the Australian capital region and/or elsewhere, in contradiction with the Criminal Code 11.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5, 89.59.59.

Accusations against the espionage operation in Timor between April and October 2004.

“On April 23, 2013, the Timor-Leste Republic launched arbitration trials against the Australian Arbitration Court against the Australian community, as the treaty, which was negotiated against certain maritime arrangements in the Australia sea, started the Treaty. Witness k It was the center of the Timor-Leste case. “

Criminal charges against Collaery

In accordance with the Intelligence Services Law, accusations against Collaery were also imposed and the Penal Code,

“Between December 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013, in Canberra and elsewhere, the defendant conspiracy with a person known by him Witness k To convey to the Timor-Leste government, in connection with its functions or to the Timor-Leste government prepared in relation to the performance of these functions. “

Ships like us: How did Timor Petroleum and gas give Bernard Collaery justice?

Wong’s Nuanced Confession

On July 7, 2023, Australian Foreign Minister Senator Wong addressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste and a nuanced confession:

“There were past situations in which the Australian governments moved in the way that the Timoric people and many Australians were disappointed.

“Timor-Leste was the right to initiate a compulsory reconciliation because you had the right to do in accordance with the United Nations Naval Law Convention.. “

It does not approve or deny it

When they asked for 2004 Asis documents about espionage from national archives, they refused to approve or reject the existence of such documents.

The problem is that, as mentioned above, there is a flat and uninterrupted line that can be drawn from this official government documents indicating that the espionage has occurred.

In Australia, it would not be possible to bring accusations against witness K and Collaery to convey imaginary espionage information.

Accept it and let’s continue

In the Kollaery case at the ACT Supreme Court (he stopped after he went to Senator Wong Timor) Xanana Gusmao was dismissed:

“I believe [spying operation facts] Australia can be discussed in the public mass without the risk of prejudice of national security and international relations, because in the perspective of a public registration and the Timor-Leste perspective, it is accepted by Australia independent of any official position in which an official position is accepted… ”

He continued as follows:

“It belongs to my opinion, [spying operation facts] There will be a positive development in our bilateral relationship, and this will be welcomed by Timor-Leste. The reason for this is that a public debate of these measures will strengthen our confidence in Australia and its government. “

Gusmao concluded his statement by saying: