Roger Uren

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Roger Uren
Born1947 (age 76–77)[1]
NationalityAustralian
EducationMA, University of Melbourne[2]
Occupations
  • Author
  • Diplomat
  • Executive

Roger T. Uren[2] is an Australian author and former diplomat who previously served as an Office of National Assessments official.

Career[edit]

Uren served as a diplomat in Beijing and Washington for the Australian government. He also served as an assistant director for the Office of National Assessments (ONA) until his resignation in 2001, where he would go on to join Phoenix Television, eventually serving as the company's Vice President of International Affairs.[2][3][4][1] He was once perceived as a candidate to become an ambassador to China for Australia.[5][6]

Uren is also an author. He has previously published his work under the pen name John Byron.[7]

Investigation[edit]

Uren and his wife Sheri Yan were investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) on suspicion of spying for China.[8] Yan was suspected of undertaking influence operations on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, and introducing Colonel Liu Chaoying, a military intelligence officer, to Australian contacts.[8][9][10]

Uren, a former Assistant Secretary responsible for the Asia section of ONA, was found to have removed documents pertaining to Chinese intelligence operations in Australia, and kept them in his apartment.[8] The documents were uncovered during a 2015 raid of his apartment in Canberra. Four years later, then-Attorney General Christian Porter approved Uren's prosecution, causing him to face 30 charges of unauthorized dealing with records. Porter released the following statement: "My consent was required as the charges relate to alleged offences under section 40J of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 and section 18A of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, each of these offences have specifically required the Attorney's consent for a prosecution to proceed since they were introduced in 2014."[5]

In September 2020, Uren plead guilty to three charges of unauthorized dealing with records. He avoided jail time but was required to pay a $7000 fine. Although it was legal to possess the documents at the time, Uren's actions became illegal in 2014 amid changes to Australia's national security legislation. Character references of Uren were read to the court from Geoff Raby (former Australian ambassador to China), Thomas Keneally (Australian novelist), and Greg Rudd (brother of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd). Praise from former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W. Bush were included among the character references.[1]

Bibliography[edit]

  • The China Lovers – A Novel of Murder and Treason (1985)[11]
  • Portrait of a Chinese Paradise – Erotica and Sexual Customs of the Late Qing Period (1987)[12]
  • The Claws of the Dragon – Kang Sheng, the Evil Genius Behind Mao and His Legacy of Terror in People's China (1992)[13]
  • To Eastern Lands – Reflections in Prose, Photographs and Verse of a Journey from Melbourne to Bombay, Beijing and Other Exotic Destinations (2013)[14]

Personal life[edit]

Uren is married to Sheri Yan. In 1996, they had a daughter.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Stewart, Selby (8 September 2020). "Former intelligence official avoids jail for breaching national secrecy over 'forgotten' documents". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  2. ^ a b c "Phoenix TV Management Team". Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ Wood, Chris (9 June 2017). "Why an obscure memoir by a former Australian diplomat and veteran of Hong Kong's Phoenix TV is creating a flutter". South China Morning Post.
  4. ^ Folkenflik, David (19 November 2003). "The media baron, the reporter and the dictator".
  5. ^ a b Byrne, Elizabeth; Doran, Matthew (23 October 2019). "Former intelligence official Roger Uren facing 30 charges for breaching national secrecy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  6. ^ McDonald, Hamish (27 March 2010). "Rejuvenating the diplomats". Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. ^ Stone Fish, Isaac (3 September 2013). "The Purge".
  8. ^ a b c McKenzie, Nick; Flitton, Daniel; Uhlmann, Chris; Baker, Richard (5 June 2017). "Secret ASIO raid uncovered classified documents in power couple's Canberra apartment". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017.
  9. ^ McKenzie, Nick; Baker, Richard (29 July 2017). "Charges loom for ex-intelligence official Roger Uren after ASIO raid". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017. Fairfax Media has confirmed one of Yan's contacts was a Chinese military intelligence operative and reputed arms broker, Colonel Liu Chaoying. Yan introduced Colonel Liu to her Australian network, including a wealthy Australian businessman who took Colonel Liu on several dinner dates.
  10. ^ Australian Associated Press (5 June 2017). "Canberra couple subject of ASIO raid". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. A Fairfax Media and Four Corners investigation reports the raid targeted Sheri Yan and former Australian diplomat Roger Uren, over allegations she was involved in operations for the Chinese Communist Party.
  11. ^ Bonavia, David; Byron, John (1985). The China Lovers. South China Morning Post Publications Division. ISBN 9789621000408.
  12. ^ Byron, John (1987). Portrait of a Chinese Paradise. Quartet Books. ISBN 9780704326217.
  13. ^ Byron, John; Pack, Robert (1992). The Claws of the Dragon. Simon & Schuster.
  14. ^ Uren, Roger (2013). To Eastern Lands. Proverse Hong Kong. ISBN 9789888227037.
  15. ^ McKenzie, Nick; Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany; Hunter, Fergus (November 11, 2018). "Beijing's secret plot to infiltrate UN used Australian insider".

External links[edit]

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