Carson file shows types of information S.I.S. gathers

Press, 2 April 1985, Page 6

Carson file shows types of information S.I.S. gathers

PA Wellington The sort of information gathered by the Security Intelligence Service was revealed during legal proceedings taken against the Government by Mr Don Carson. The files were obtained I by Mr Carson in 1983 in | discovery proceedings as I part of his legal action against the former Director of the S.I.S. Mr Paul Molineaux, and the Attorney General for $27,500. An out-of-court settlement has been announced. The files were shown to the Wellington “Evening Post” at the time but on J legal advice this report was 1 not published then. It was considered that it could prejudice a trial if the matter proceeded to the High Court. The 3cm thick sheaf of photocopied documents handed over by the S.I.S. consisted mainly of newspaper clippings and transcripts of radio and television broadcasts, the “Post” reports. I The first clippings on the 1 file dated back to 1972, when Mr Carson stood for a I position on the Victoria University Students’ Association executive. The rest of the documents were mainly copies of published reports of activites in which Mr Carson had been involved as well as articles, and letters to the editor written by him. There were small black strips on many of the papers, which Mr Carson believed to have covered S.I.S. file references or comments on the articles. The clippings chronicled his activities with the New Zealand University Students’ Association, of which he was international I vice-president, the CommitI tee on Vietnam, Hart, the Campaign Against Foreign Control in New Zealand, the Campaign Against Nuclear Warships, and his support for the Palestinian cause. The file was not complete. However, he was given a list of the items which had not been made available to him the newspaper said. An affidavit filed in the High Court by the S.I.S. solicitor, whose name cannot be published, listed the following items for which

the service claimed privilege: • Reports of meetings attended by Mr Carson. • Reports on anti-tour activities of Mr Carson. 9 Papers regarding the security clearance of Mr Carson. • Copy of passport application. • Reports of activities and elections ,of various organisations in which Mr Carson was involved. <4 Copies of correspondence and papers of those various organisations. • Memoranda on the personal history and writing of Mr Carson - 1973 onwards. . • Memoranda on Mr Carsons’ personal travels. • Memoranda regarding movements of other people in New Zealand with whom Mr Carson had contact • Correspondence between the Director of the S.I.S. and the Prime Minister regarding the Carson appeal and related matters. • Papers relating to Mr Carson’s appeal - most not privileged. ® Memoranda between S.I.S. officers and the S.I.S. office regarding Mr Carson after the report of August, 1981. • Correspondence with the Israeli Ambassador relating to Mr Carson and memoranda thereon. ® Memo of request by the police dated March 17,1976. • Memoranda on protests - Western intervention in South-east Asia. • Memoranda of technical information concerning chloropicrin. Privilege was sought on the grounds that disclosure would reveal the means by which intelligence was gathered, the identity of people involved in the 5.1.5., would expose to risk the families of people giving information, or might reveal confidential communications with other Governments which might prejudice New Zealand’s international relations. In an interview, Mr Carson said he was committed to “advanced causes” but he questioned whether the S.I.S. should have had a file on him in the first place. “I have never been a member of any political party - all I have done is espouse causes in advance of the Government. I support the Palestine Libera-

tion Organisation, but so did the National Government in urging its recognition in international forums. “The Government is and was also against sporting contacts with South Africa. “The issues I advance politically are really not that much different from those espoused by the (previous) Government “Even the S.I.S. has acknowledged I am not a subversive.” In a statement to Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, Commissioner of Security Appeals, the S.I.S. said it “does not have evidence of, nor considers the complainant (Mr Carson) to be involved with or to support, subversive organisations in New Zealand.” Mr Carson said that going by the wording of the S.I.S. Act, the service should not have had him under surveillance. By law the service has the function of obtaining, correlating, and evaluating intelligence relevant to security. Security is defined as the protection of New Zealand from acts of

espionage, sabotage, terrorrism. and subversion. “I am not a spy, I am not a saboteur, I am not a terrorist and even the S.I.S. say I am not a subversive. As well as that I have never had a conviction or even been arrested,” Mr Carson said. The S.I.S. interest in him was ironic, he said, as he was given “top secret” clearance by the service in 1979 when he was employed by Foreign Affairs as a student training officer in its External Aid Division. He said the list of items for which privilege was claimed raised many other issues. For example, he wondered what passed between the S.I.S. and the Israeli Ambassador. “Were the Israelis spying on me or were they asking the S.I.S. for information?” He also wondered how the S.I.S. monitored his travels and the movements of other people with whom he had contact Comment was sought from the present Director of the 5.1.5., Mr Lindsay Smith, but was not available at that stage.