June 28, 2004 2:54pm
Asia Intelligence Wire

broadcast by Radio Australia on 28 June

[Presenter Mark Colvin] Authorities in East Timor have begun legal proceedings to deport an Australian man charged with subversive activities. Julian King is charged with possessing ammunition and illegal documents. Today he was hauled before immigration authorities in Dili. But Mr King says two courts have so far failed to find any evidence to support the charges. He claims it's all part of a political vendetta because of his research against the Timorese government. Anne Barker reports.

[Barker] Julian King has worked on and off for four years as a freelance journalist and cameraman in Dili. Two months ago, he says, police raided his home and seized a pile of papers and produced a box of bullets that they alleged were in his room. He was charged with possessing weapons and illegal documents and ordered to appear in court. But a High Court judge later ruled the documents weren't illegal and Mr. King says two witnesses told the court that the bullets had come from the police.

[King] There are eyewitnesses that [say they] saw the police take the bullets out of their pockets upon entering my bedroom. There were statements from the East Timor Defence Forces, who say that these bullets are police-issue bullets, and so they are now looking to use the Immigration Act saying that I don't have a visa, which is true. But that visa was revoked some six weeks ago now and according to the Immigration Act as we understand it, there must be time given to apply for the visa before you can be deported. And you also have the opportunity to appeal to
the courts and the High Court, and this process this hasn't gone ahead.

[Barker] So what's behind all this, do you think? Why are they pursuing you if there's no evidence against you?

[King] Well, I believe it's a case of character assassination. I'm perhaps the only foreign correspondent here that reports for radio on a regular basis in Australia, and I've been very critical of the Timor Gap negotiations between Australia and East Timor. And I believe this is just a tactic, if you like, a means to try and shut up free speech in East Timor.

[Barker] So have your articles or research incriminated authorities or the government in some way?

[King] I wouldn't say it's incriminated them as being corrupt, but it's certainly exposed the fact that their actions in dealing with the Timor Gap oil negotiations was against their best advice.

Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 0810 gmt 28 Jun 04

BBC Monitoring