U.S. whistleblower Chelsea Manning to be barred from entering Australia

Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning won't be allowed to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to start this weekend, her event organizer says.

Think Inc. said that on Wednesday, it received a notice of intention from the government to deny Manning entry. The group is calling on her supporters to lobby new Immigration Minister David Coleman to allow her into Australia. While she can appeal, past precedent suggests the decision has already been made.

Think Inc. said it had given the government more than 10 letters from individuals and organizations in support of Manning's entry to Australia.

By refusing her entry, the Australian government would send a chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued by our government.- Claire Mallinson, Amnesty International

"Ms. Manning offers formidable ideas and an insightful perspective which we are hoping to bring to the forefront of Australian dialogue," Think Inc. Director Suzi Jamil said in a statement.

Manning was an intelligence analyst for the U.S. army when she leaked military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She served seven years of a 35-year sentence before then President Barack Obama granted her clemency in 2017.

New Zealand OK's visit

The transgender activist, who recently lost a long-shot bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland, is scheduled to speak at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, and has subsequent events in Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand authorities said Friday that Manning had been granted a "special direction," allowing her to apply for a working visa for planned speaking events in Auckland and Wellington.

Steve Stuart, the general manager of Immigration New Zealand, said the agency noted that Manning's sentence had been commuted by former U.S. president Barack Obama in 2017, that she had not reoffended since being released, and that the chances of her offending while in New Zealand were low.

Call for transparency

Australia's Department of Home Affairs said while it does not comment on individual cases, all non-citizens entering Australia must meet character requirements set out in the country's Migration Act. The reasons a person might fail the character test include a criminal record or a determination they might a risk to the community, according to the department.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was up to Coleman, who was sworn in as immigration minister on Tuesday.

A foreign affairs spokesperson for the opposition Labor Party, Penny Wong, said the government should be transparent about the reason if Manning is denied entry.

Amnesty International accused the government of trying to silence Manning.

"By refusing her entry, the Australian government would send a chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued by our government," Amnesty International national director Claire Mallinson said in a statement.

Lawyer Greg Barns, who has represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said people with criminal records have been allowed into Australia. He said no one would seriously suggest Manning was a risk to the Australian community.

Manning is due to speak in the Australian cities of Melbourne on Sept. 7 and Brisbane on Sept. 11, and in the New Zealand cities of Auckland on Sept. 8 and Wellington the next day.