The Government of Australia refused this Wednesday (2.06.2021) to declassify documents about its alleged participation in the 1973 coup in Chile. The Executive defended his position during the hearing before the Administrative Appeals Court (AAT, acronym in English). The case, which is not judicial, addresses government issues and faces former Australian military intelligence officer Clinton Fernandes and the director general of the Australian National Archives, David Fricker.
The hearings that run through Friday will be largely behind closed doors as Attorney General Michaelia Cash noted in an order issued May 25 that testimony on “confidential” matters in the case “hurts the public. security, defense and international relations “of your country.
Former Australian military intelligence officer Clinton Fernandes asked the Court of Administrative Appeals (AAT) that the director general of the Australian National Archives, David Fricker, make public some or all of the documents on Australia’s action in the ouster of the president. Chilean socialist Salvador Allende, with the military coup of Augusto Pinochet, in 1973.
Despite the fact that the United States declassified secret documents two decades ago on how it covered up and supported the Augusto Pinochet regime (1973-1990), many questions remain about the actions of its partner, Australia, in the run-up to the coup that overthrew the socialist Salvador Allende. The questions have been unanswered for decades due to the legal mechanisms that the oceanic country has to protect its secrets unlimitedly.
Matter of public interest to Australia
Until now, it is known that Australia had sent to Chile in 1971 agents of the Australian Secret Intelligence Services (ASIS), during the government of liberal Billy McMahon, at the request of Washington, but Labor Gough Whitlam (1972-73) ordered the withdrawal of these uniformed men from the South American country.
However, at least one ASIS agent stayed in Chile until after the coup, while some ASIO (Australian intelligence agency) officers worked as undercover immigration agents and assisted the US CIA before the coup, he recalls. the political magazine Crickey.
“Many Australians would have the right to express their legitimate concern if ASIS or ASIO (Australian intelligence services) were found to cooperate with the United States, United Kingdom or Chilean intelligence services during the Pinochet regime,” Fernandes argued in a document filed. before the AAT.
Fernandes believes that the collaboration could have taken place, “for example, helping to create what the CIA called a ‘coup climate’ to destroy the economy and encourage the Chilean military under the command of General Augusto Pinochet to carry out the coup.”
“These crimes are far from trivial; in a country with a population of 10 million in 1973 there were some 4,000 cases of death or disappearance by the regime, in addition to 150,000 to 200,000 cases of political detentions and some 100,000 credible cases of torture.” , the academic and international relations expert pointed out in his text.
In the hearing to which the Efe news agency had virtual access, Fernandes’ lawyer, Ian Latham, said that the declassification of these documents is “in the public interest” because “they will fill some of the historical gaps” in Australia. Likewise, Latham remarked that his client does not want to reveal the names of the agents involved, even after their deaths, nor does he want to “reveal details of the surveillance techniques.”
Risk to Australia’s international relations
For his part, Australian Government lawyer Andrew Berger remarked during the hearing that the disclosure of “highly specialized matters” could endanger Australia, even half a century after those events occurred. He also considered that the declassification of the documents could contain , phrases, names, records or other elements that may fall into the hands of “foreign adversaries” or threaten the security of the country.
Meanwhile, Anthony Sheehan, Under Secretary for International Security at the Australian Foreign Ministry and first witness in the case, pointed out that there are “aspects (in the documents) that need to be protected”, considering that the declassification represents “a real risk” for the “international relations and security” of the country.
Sheehan, whose testimony was partially disclosed, admitted that probably not all the documents he reviewed are sensitive to his Ministry, although he stressed: “I cannot comment on ASIS-related matters.”
rml (efe, crikey.com.au)
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
“No to civil war”
This poster from May 1973 was part of the campaign launched by the Communist Party to avoid a confrontation that would bleed the country. On September 10, 1973, in the critical moments prior to the coup that overthrew Salvador Allende, the Secretary General of the Socialist Party, Carlos Altamirano, declared that “the coup is not fought with dialogue, it is crushed with the force of the people.” .
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
The movement of settlers
The population movement was one of the pillars of the government of Salvador Allende. Therefore, after the 1973 coup, a large part of the military repression was concentrated in low-income areas, both selectively, with the death and disappearance of their main leaders, and collectively, with police invasions, arrests. massive, kidnappings and destruction.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
Repression by the State
During the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), Chile experienced brutal repression, which did not stop with the entry into force of the 1980 Constitution (on March 11, 1981). The new Magna Carta sought to institutionalize the regime. According to official reports, the number of victims amounts to 31,686 people, of which 28,459 were victims of torture.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
Association of Independent Photographers
In the midst of the military regime, the Association of Independent Photographers (AFI) emerged, whose objective was to disseminate the work of graphic reporters. The AFI photographic production became a testimony of the struggle against the dictatorship, but also to record the military and police repression of that time. Some of its members were killed for their work.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
“They took them alive, we want them alive”
The Chilean State recognized that 3,227 people were executed or disappeared during the dictatorship. Several civil organizations fought for years demanding the appearance of their relatives. The slogan “They took them alive, we want them alive” has generated a great impact. It was also used in Argentina and, more recently, in protests after the disappearance of the 43 from Ayotzinapa.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
March 8 in Valparaíso
During the dictatorship, the marches for International Women’s Day also served to demonstrate against the regime led by Augusto Pinochet. This 1984 poster calls for a meeting at Fortín Prat, Valparaíso, to fight for women’s rights and also demand a return to democracy.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
Against the death penalty in Chile
The Committee of Relatives of Victims of Repression launched a campaign against the death penalty in Chile. This poster dates from 1984. The last time this punishment was applied in the South American country was in January 1985. The death penalty was repealed during the government of President Ricardo Lagos, in 2001.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
The 1986 strike
The prolonged national strike in 1986 was the largest and last day of protest since the massive mobilizations against the dictatorship began in 1983. The so-called “days of protest” were street demonstrations in downtown avenues, which were commonly accompanied by strikes and work stoppages. in businesses and schools during the day, and barricades at night.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
My dad is a communist!
This 1988 poster is part of a campaign to normalize the image of Communist Party militants, demonized and constitutionally banned during the dictatorship. The party leadership was persecuted by the security agencies, forcing the Communists to go underground or leave the country.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
A poster from the historic “No” campaign
In February 1988 the Concertación de Partidos por el No. was founded. The objective was to organize the campaign for the “No” for the plebiscite of October 5, 1988, where it would be decided whether or not Augusto Pinochet remained in power until 1998. Finally, the “No” won by a large majority, thus opening the political space for the transition to democracy, after 17 years of civil-military dictatorship.
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The struggle of Chileans to recover democracy
The fight for democracy has no end
After the return of democracy, many Chileans continued to fight for truth and justice for the disappeared and tortured during the dictatorship. Pinochet’s departure from power did not guarantee trial and punishment for those responsible for human rights violations, so many organizations continued working to achieve that goal.
