How gracious of Attorney-General George Brandis to return East Timorese government documents seized by ASIO, after refusing to do so for the past 16 months, and notwithstanding having been condemned by the International Court of Justice for its behaviour (‘George Brandis hands over to East Timor docs seized by ASIO’, Canberra Times, 4 May 2015).
While this change in attitude appears to be in marked contrast to its previous egregious treatment of the people of East Timor, it begs the question as to when the passport of the former ASIS agent who allegedly exposed the criminal behaviour of the Australian government will be returned & when the travel restrictions imposed on him & East Timor’s legal representative, Bernard Collaery, will be lifted?
And when will the Australian government initiate an inquiry into the alleged behaviour of former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer & former ASIS & ASIO head David Irvine for orchestrating the illegal bugging of the East Timorese government offices during negotiations over the oil and gas treaty in 2004?
John Richardson, CLA member, Wallagoot NSW
NOTE: Bernard Collaery will speak about his experiences in a CLA-co-sponsored public lecture at the ANU in Canberra on Thursday 11 June 2015 at 5.30pm.