JUSTLY.info is maintained by Susan Connelly. It presents information concerning the history and ongoing concerns of Timor-Leste and West Papua. Aspects of the work of René Girard are also featured.
Of particular concern is the matter of “Witness K” and Bernard Collaery, two outstanding Australian patriots who were pursued by the Australian government and faced jail. This pursuit was an abuse of power, an attempt to scapegoat the defendants in order to cover up government wrong-doing.
In 2004 Australia bugged Timorese government offices where Timor Sea negotiators prepared for their meetings with Australian officials to determine each nation’s share of the Greater Sunrise area of the Timor Sea. The CMATS Treaty (Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea) was signed on the basis of this corrupted process. Once the Timorese government found out that spying had taken place, it withdrew from the Treaty and set in motion the steps necessary for the setting of maritime boundaries.
The Timorese government withdrew the case it had brought to the international court against Australia, and demanded its right to an internationally recognised maritime boundary.
Two months after the new border was signed into law, Witness K and Bernard Collaery were charged with making the spying known to the Government of Timor-Leste.
On 3 May 2013, the then Foreign Minister Bob Carr and his deputy Mark Dreyfus issued a joint press release concerning the accusation of espionage. On 29 May 2013, Leo Shanahan, a NewsCorp journalist, wrote a 1,000-word article in The Australian detailing an interview with Collaery over the spying. Neither Carr, Dreyfus or Shanahan are mentioned in the charges.
Four years passed in which over 70 hearings were held. Witness K pleaded guilty and was given a three-month suspended sentence and a twelve-month good behaviour bond. Bernard Collaery continued to fight the charges, until on 7 July 2022, the new Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus discontinued the prosecution.
The prosecutions of the two Australians came under national security legislation which the government argued was necessary to protect Australian secrets.
A Statement Calling for
Peace and Justice in Gaza
The background to the present Israel/Palestine conflict is complex and long-standing. It is enmeshed in age-old oppressions in which both peoples have suffered and remains expressed in mutual revenge and violence.
The historical persecutions of the people of Israel remain on the conscience of the world. However, the present situation in Gaza is inhumane, and it cannot be condoned.
Palestinian people in Gaza are suffering in ways that are disproportionate to the acts of violence committed by some of their number on 7 October 2023.
The merciless and indiscriminate killing of over one thousand Israeli people and the kidnapping of others by Hamas are reprehensible.
However, the response has been bombing and destruction of civilian infrastructure throughout Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including many children, and many thousands have been injured. The increasing mental and physical health effects after months of attacks are severe. Some children have already starved to death and famine is facing the whole population.
This response to the terrible October attacks is unreasonable. Such a response may well prove to exacerbate the existing situation with more and more people drawn into the vortex of reciprocal violence.
Pope Francis is calling on people of goodwill to raise their voices for peace. He says “Do you really think you are going to build a better world this way? Do you really think you are going to achieve peace? Enough, please! Let us all say: Stop! Please stop!”
There has been genuine work towards peace and justice by the Australian Government and community groups. More urgent efforts towards an immediate and lasting ceasefire must now be made.
May the development of the Australian people’s relationship with both Israel and Palestine embody and demonstrate principles of justice and peace to all.