Tag Archives: Australia
17 February 2014
The Australian Signals Directorate, Australia’s intelligence agency, informed the NSA that it was conducting surveillance of an American law firm, which was retained by the Indonesian government for help in trade talks, and offered to share the information. This information comes from a top-secret document obtained by Edward J. Snowden, former NSA contractor. Additionally, the Australians said that ‘information covered by attorney-client privilege may be included.’ Liaison officials for Australia asked the NSA for guidance about the spying and the Australian agency ‘has been able to continue to cover the talks, providing highly useful intelligence for interested US customers.’ The Australian surveillance of such talks shows the extent to which the NSA and its allies engage in economic espionage.
The NSA and the Australian government have declined to answer questions about the surveillance. However, the Australian Defense Force stated that information gathering is to support Australia’s national interests and that intelligence agencies obey their legal obligations, including when it involves foreign counterparts. Recently disclosed documents show the cooperation between the US and Australia, including the sharing of facilities and highly sensitive intelligence. The Australian and NSA eavesdropping services focus mainly on Asia, particularly Indonesia and China.
Source: The New York Times | Spying by N.S.A. Ally Entangled U.S. Law Firm
4 November 2013
Negotiations held in Hobart, Tasmania by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources failed to reach an agreement to protect the ocean ecosystem in the Antarctic. The United States and New Zealand proposed a 500,000 square mile reserve in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Australia, France, and the European Union proposed a network of protected areas in the eastern Antarctic region. Both proposals were blocked due to the resistance of Russia, China, and Ukraine. Agreement between twenty-four members of the Commission and the European Union is required for the adoption of a proposal.
The resisting states argue that such reserves would cut off their access to fish stocks and undermine the fishing industries. However, fisheries scientists state that the reserves would help protect and restore the ecosystem from depletion caused by overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Yuri Onodera, climate adviser for Friends of the Earth Japan and attendee at the conference, stated, ‘once again, national interests and politics are a hurdle to the international interest of protecting the environment.’
Source: New York Times | Talks on Antarctic Marine Reserve Fail to Reach Agreement
29 July 2013
The UN Refugee Agency expressed concerns over Australia’s Regional Resettlement Agreement (RRA) with Papua New Guinea in a written statement citing the absence of adequate protection standards for asylum seekers and refugees in Papua New Guinea.
According to UNHCR, Australia maintains a shared responsibility with its developing neighbour to ensure appropriate legal standards for asylum seekers, which includes access to sustainable solutions within Australia. The agency said the RRA raises serious protection questions as there are significant shortcomings in the legal framework in Papua New Guinea for receiving and processing asylum seekers. These include lacking national capacity and poor physical conditions within open-ended and arbitrary detention settings.
Source: UNHCR News & Media | UNHCR: Australia-Papua New Guinea asylum agreement presents protection challenges
22 July 2013
Two US fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs in the Australian Great Barrier Reef Marine Park during a training exercise when civilian boats entered the drop zone, according to a US Navy statement. The Marine Park is a World Heritage Site containing the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem.
US authorities stated that the Navy was reviewing the possibility of retrieving the ordnances in consultation with Australia, but stated that the bombs only posed a low risk to the marine environment. Australians and environmentalists were reported as describing the dumping of bombs in an environmentally sensitive area as an outrageous act that should not be allowed.
Source: Al Jazeera | Outrage over US bomb drop on Barrier Reef
Source: Sky News | Barrier Reef: US Navy May Retrieve Bombs
22 July 2013
A boat carrying 89, mainly Iranian, asylum-seekers was intercepted off the coast of northern Australia. This occurred a day after the country announced that asylum seekers arriving by boat can no longer be resettled in Australia as refugees. The Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke stated that the group can either press an asylum claim in Papua New Guinea, or be transferred to a third state.
The announcement of the new immigration policy was reportedly followed by violent riots in an Australian-run immigration detention camp in Nauru over the weekend where hundreds of asylum seekers escaped detention.
Source: Al Jazeera | Australia intercepts boat with asylum-seekers