'Serious crime' or 'tiny risk': Police have warned of foreign interference, but what is it?
Diaspora communities are being asked to look out for foreign interference and to report suspicious activity.
The AFP is saying it plans to make more arrests under foreign interference laws. Foreign interference charges are rarely seen in Australia, but fresh allegations against a Chinese national have prompted authorities to issue a warning, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. An Australian Federal Police (AFP) assistant commissioner has described the offence as a "serious crime", but a policing expert says there's a "tiny risk" to the public.
So what constitutes foreign interference, and should you be worried?
What is foreign interference? Foreign interference is a broad term.
AFP assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt explained it in the context of charges made at the weekend.
"Foreign interference is a serious crime that undermines democracy and social cohesion. It is a crime carried out by or on behalf of a foreign principal that involves covert and deceptive conduct or threats of serious harm or menacing demands," he said. An AFP fact sheet adds that it is targeted towards CALD communities. Dr Michael Kennedy, policing studies professor at the University of New England, told SBS News foreign interference is a "vague" term, with no clear-cut definition.
"It's a case of the AFP throwing out a scary phrase, creating a moral panic, and then not explaining what they actually mean," he said.
What do we know about this recent case? A suppression order has been put in place to shield the woman's identity. Nutt said the agency plans to make more arrests in relation to the woman's activities. He said that despite this arrest, diasporas could still be targeted by foreign interference.
"The AFP and our partners are working with diaspora communities to help protect them from this criminality," he said.
What can foreign interference look like?
The AFP has outlined six main signs of how foreign interference can take form in the community:
Assault or threats of assault.
Blackmail.
Kidnapping, unlawful detainment or deprivation of liberty.
Stalking and unwanted physical or electronic surveillance.
Coercion of a person by threatening their family or associates overseas to force them to comply.
Online disinformation campaigns through social media to discredit a person or group. Should you be concerned? The AFP has issued a warning to people to remain alert, report suspicious activity, although those instructions are "vague", Kennedy told SBS News. He said the AFP is making a big deal over a crime that is rare and a "tiny risk" to the community. "There's always a risk someone could be targeted, but I'd say it's a tiny risk. There's not much reason for the Chinese government, for instance, to be concerned about a small group's business".
He said that while China may be interested in exerting influence in Australia, it probably wouldn't impact people's everyday lives.
"They're [China] not trying to indoctrinate people; they don't want everyone to speak Chinese in school. There are 1.5 billion of them, they don't care what 25 or so million Australians think," he added. Kennedy felt that the AFP's focus on foreign interference was "out of proportion" with the reality of the danger. "I think foreign interference is just an unnecessary headline that creates tension that doesn't need to be put out there," he said. "The AFP is saying it's very dangerous, but it's not." Any concerns and/or instances of foreign interference in the community can be reported to the National Security Hotline: 1800 123 400
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