Foreign interference in Australia is at a height, “not seen since the Cold War,” ASIO Director General Mike Burgess told a parliament committee inquiry yesterday
He was appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security, which is inquiring into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sectors.
Mr Burgess added Australia faces threats from more than one country, but less than ten, adding that while he is aware of the source of the 2018 hack at ANU he would name it. Officials appearing at the hearing also declined to comment on the source of last month’s cyber-attack on RMIT.
Other witnesses addressed in-person interference.
Independent research Alex Joske answered questions on attempts to influence and recruit Australian based researchers to the Chinese Government’s “Thousand Talents Programme.” Committee chair Senator James Paterson (Liberal-Victoria) described Mr Joske’s submission to the inquiry, “as the most sobering” received.
Elaine Pearson and Sophie McNeill from Human Rights Watch also gave evidence on the need for universities to make systematic efforts to protect academic freedom from attempted interference by agents and supporters of the Chinese Government. They pointed to UNSW as an example of what not to do – the university briefly deleted an article by Ms Pearson on human rights in Hong Kong after fierce criticism and then reinstated it to a less prominent webpage.
And they spoke at length of the need to assist Chinese students in Australia from intimidation.
They were followed by University of Queensland student and human rights activist Drew Pavlou. Senator Paterson gave Mr Pavlou the opportunity to speak at length on the university’s disciplinary proceedings against him, which he attributed to the university’s wish to silence his vocal opposition to Chinese Government influence on campus. “There is a “chilling effect” on campus free speech Mr Pavlou said.
Senator Paterson thanked him for his “helpful and powerful” statement.