E&OE
18 July 2008
Doorstop Interview – The Lowy Institute, Sydney
Subjects: Peter Lloyd, ASEAN
STEPHEN SMITH: I've just delivered a speech at the Lowy Institute and responded to questions downstairs, so I'm happy to respond to yours.
QUESTION: Peter Lloyd. Where are we up to?
SMITH: Well I can confirm that Peter Lloyd has been arrested in Singapore on drug related matters. My most recent advice, which is in the last half an hour, is that charges have not yet been laid, but we expecting charges to be laid in the course of the day. And those charges will of course outline the facts and circumstances of the charges.
Australian officials have had consular access to Mr Lloyd and that's occurred in the usual way.
Mr Lloyd, and this is on the public record already, Mr Lloyd is suffering from an eye infection. He's currently in hospital having that eye infection treated, and our officials were happy that appropriate medical attention was being given to him.
So our officials have had access to him and have provided him with all the appropriate and usual consular assistance in circumstances such as these, including providing advice as to legal assistance.
Can I just make a general point? This is not, of course, related to Mr Lloyd's case. He's been arrested. We haven't yet seen the charges. And not having seen the charges, let alone a judicial process or a conviction or acquittal, we're of course constrained in what we can say.
But let me make this general point to all Australians. This is another reminder to any Australian who travels overseas that they must conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of a country they visit.
Very many nations that Australians visit, young Australians, older Australians, very many nations, have very, very serious penalties for drug offences.
So, this is generally another reminder to Australians who travel abroad, they must conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of the country they visit.
And this advice, advice about the serious way in which many countries treat drug offences and the very serious penalties that are imposed, is on the Australian Government's website by way of its travel advice.
So this serves as another reminder to Australians who travel, they must conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of the country they visit.
QUESTION: Peter Lloyd hardly needed any advice from Government websites. I mean the man reported in South East Asia extensively. He was a journalist of decent repute. Do you know him personally?
SMITH: I don't know him personally. Firstly, secondly, I'm not going to be drawn on any comment which reflects on any of the facts, alleged or otherwise, that might relate to charges or to any judicial process.
QUESTION: Why can you not do that, Sir?
SMITH: Well because it would be inappropriate. It's just as inappropriate for me to comment on those matters, the police investigative and legal and judicial processes of Singapore, just as inappropriate for me to comment on that, as if I commenting on the same matters before an Australian court.
There are a number of things that I can confirm. He's been arrested. He has been provided with consular assistance. Departmental officials have also been in contact with friends and family and we're rendering all of the usual and appropriate consular assistance. He does have an eye infection. He's currently in a hospital. And our understanding is that later in the day, the charges will be formally read to him at the hospital and our expectation is that in accordance with usual practices, Australian officials will be present at that hearing.
QUESTION: Do you know what drugs were allegedly involved? What type of drugs?
SMITH: From what I see on the advice to me and on media reports and on the publicly available information, methamphetamines or Ice as it currently known. That's the suggestion. But again, as I say, I'm proposing to be very careful about the comments that I make which go to the facts and circumstances relevant to both charges and any legal or judicial processes in Singapore.
QUESTION: When were you informed, Minister?
SMITH: I was informed yesterday evening. I was in the Solomon Islands. As you may be aware, I've spent the bulk of the week in both Fiji and the Solomons, and I received the information, the very rudimentary information, late in the afternoon from the Solomons, and received formal advice from my officials when I arrived in Sydney last night.
I, of course, have been in contact both with our mission in Singapore and also with Departmental officials, Departmental consular officials in Canberra, to be advised of events.
Can I make this point, that the most important step in the process now are for the charges to be delineated and the legal and judicial processes of Singapore to occur.
In the meantime, as is appropriate, Australia will render all of the appropriate and usual consular assistance to Mr Lloyd and to his family.
QUESTION: So, you're travelling to Singapore next, so will you be meeting up with [indistinct].
SMITH: Well I'm travelling to Singapore next week. I made that clear in my remarks today for ASEAN related Foreign Ministerial meetings. So, obviously I'll be in a position to speak first hand to our mission, to our High Commissioner, and ensure personally that anything that we can do in terms of consular assistance is done for Mr Lloyd and his family.
QUESTION: Will you personally raise it with authorities then?
SMITH: Well in the normal course of events, unless there's some reason why we believe that consular access or assistance wasn't being provided, then there's no need to raise these things. I have to say that, at official's level, this is occurring in what we would describe as the normal and usual way.
Departmental officials were informally and subsequently formally advised by Singapore, Singaporean authorities, that an Australian had been arrested and was likely to face charges.
The usual processes were followed. That enabled the normal and usual consular access to occur, including the ability of our officials to make an assessment as to whether he was being provided with appropriate medical care and attention. And they're satisfied that all of the usual consular access is being given and that's, of course, you know, welcome.
So in the normal course of events, there is no need for my intervention. But because an Australian has been arrested overseas; because I'm going to Singapore next week, obviously I will speak personally with the High Commissioner and his officers to continue to satisfy myself that anything that we can do for Mr Lloyd and his family is being done.
QUESTION: What sort of quantities are you talking about?
SMITH: Well I think we should best wait until we see the charges.
QUESTION: But are you aware though? You must have been told presumably?
SMITH: Well I've seen references in the public domain to that matter. But I think people should proceed on the basis that he's been arrested. Our expectation is that he will be charged today and the details of the charges, including relevant quantities or amounts will be delineated in those charges. It's not for me to speculate. Indeed, it would be…
QUESTION: [Indistinct] speculate [indistinct]. You are the Foreign Minister, you would know this.
SMITH: And because I'm the Foreign Minister it is even more inappropriate for me to speculate.
QUESTION: Minister, do you know how long he's been in hospital?
SMITH: I don't. My understanding is he was arrested yesterday and in the course of yesterday, taken to hospital for the treatment of his eye infection. That's my understanding. If that's not correct factually, I'm happy for it to be corrected, if it wasn't yesterday afternoon or evening, it was this morning.
But our consular officials are satisfied that appropriate medical attention is being paid to him.
QUESTION: What was your personal reaction to it when you heard the news yourself?
SMITH: Well my personal reaction to it was one to ensure and satisfy myself that whatever normal and appropriate consular assistance we should render to him was being provided. That was the basis of my conversations with officials in Singapore and in Canberra and I'm absolutely satisfied that that's occurring as are they.
And as I said earlier in my remarks, this is not related to Mr Lloyd's circumstances. This is a general point.
Australians, when they travel overseas need to respect and abide by the laws of the nation that they are visiting.
Very many countries, both in our region and generally, have very, very strong punishments and penalties when it comes to drug offences and Australians, when they travel overseas, must conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of the countries that they are in.
QUESTION: Do you know how Mr Lloyd is? I mean, have you been told anecdotally by staff overseas who have seen him?
SMITH: Well the advice I have is that he has an eye infection and that is being treated appropriately.
QUESTION: Emotionally it must be very tough on him?
SMITH: The advice I have is that he has an eye infection. He's being treated appropriately and all of the usual assistance, which is appropriate to render to him, is being rendered.
QUESTION: Minister, are any members of his family with him currently in Singapore, or will they be in the coming days?
SMITH: My understanding - again, I'm happy to be corrected - my understanding is that he has friends in Singapore, but not necessarily family. Whether his family or members of his family choose to visit him or go to Singapore, obviously will be a matter for them. If, in the course of doing that, they need appropriate assistance, that will be rendered by the Australian Government.
QUESTION: Were there others arrested? Were there, sorry, were there others arrested with him?
SMITH: Well I'm not proposing, as I've said earlier, to comment upon anything which may be relevant the facts and circumstances of his arrest or charges potentially to be made - to be laid against him.
QUESTION: So you're not aware of any other Australians [indistinct]
SMITH: Well I'm not proposing to comment on the facts and circumstances which may be relevant to charges which are laid against him.
QUESTION: Any comment on the [indistinct] job losses today?
SMITH: Well can I just say I've only just seen that speculation, I'm not aware of the details. So I'll have to leave that to my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Mr Albanese.
QUESTION: Mr Smith, when you go to talk about ASEAN in Singapore, Burma will be there at the table of course. Should - first of all, what will you - will you be making any direct representations to the Burmese…
SMITH: Well…
QUESTION: …Foreign Minister about issues there. And secondly, should Burma be in ASEAN?
SMITH: Well Burma is a member of ASEAN firstly. Secondly, I've requested a meeting with my Burmese counterpart and if I have a meeting with my Burmese counterpart, I'll make more of the usual points that Australia makes in respect of Burma.
There is no point making the points we make publicly, if you don't make them privately. And the points I will make will be we were disappointed that Burma did not more quickly accept international assistance, so far as humanitarian assistance was concerned after the cyclone. And we urge them to open up to full and complete international assistance.
We welcome the fact that, albeit it's belatedly, they have authorised access through the ASEAN-UN initiative. And I'll also be making the point that Australia very strongly believes that Burma should return to a democratic state, where human rights, the rule of law, democratic expression is fully respected and where there is full and complete political participation by all political players, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
QUESTION: Now that message has been [indistinct] years, from all over the international community, with a lot of force, and the Burmese have really done nothing in response. Surely isn't it up to institutions like ASEAN to - perfectly placed - to put the weights on Burma to lift its game. And shouldn't part of that process be considering expelling, suspending them, or some other disciplinary action for that to happen?
SMITH: Well the Australian Government does not suggest the suspension of Burma from ASEAN. In any event that would be a matter for ASEAN itself.
But the views that I have put publicly are the views that I put privately to not just ASEAN Foreign Ministers, but to other nation states. Is it regrettable that Burma has not moved back to a democratic state? Of course it is. And we reflect that by the very strong sanctions that we impose on Burma and as I indicated in my answer to one of the questions downstairs, we are currently looking at the effectiveness of our sanctions so far as Burma is concerned, with a view to seeing whether the effectiveness of those sanctions can be improved and made even more effective.
Thanks a lot. Thanks very much everyone. Cheers.
[Ends]
Media Inquiries: Foreign Minister's office (02) 6277 7500