Kerry and Kay Danes

Kerry and Kay Danes are an Australian husband and wife who were arrested on December 23 2000 in Laos. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he understood Kerry and Kay Danes would be charged with fraud but it was unclear on what grounds. [cite press release| title = Fears for Couple Seized in Laos | language = English | publisher = BBC Online | date = 3 January 2001 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1092480.stm | ]

In January 2001, it was reported that Kerry Danes, an Australian Special Forces Soldier working on leave from the Australian Defence Force, was being held as a foreign agent by the Lao secret police and would be charged with spying. [cite press release| title = A Laos-y double cross | language = English | publisher = World Net Daily | date = 4 January 2001 | url = http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_id=21203 | ]

Kerry Danes was the general manager of a company [Lao Securicor] that provided security to over 75 foreign investors, including United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, numerous Embassy's, Hotels, Garment Factories and both domestic and international airports. Kerry Danes company also provided a single security guard to Gem Mining Lao's Vientiane office. Hours after her husband's arrest, Kay Danes was detained at the Lao-Thai border. She was in the company of Australian Embassy officials who were attempting to evacuate Kay Danes and the couple's two children from the country. US$50,000 in cash was found in her possession, the payroll for wages and other expenses for her Thailand security company. cite web | date = 18 March 2002 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/austory/transcripts/s496503.htm | title = On Their Honour (Transcript)| work = Australian Story | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate = 2007-11-09] According to the Danes lawyer, Ted Tzovaras [cite press release| title = Tzovaras Legal | language = English | url = http://www.tzvoaraslegal.com | ] the cash became a non-issue and was returned to the Danes at the court hearing of 28 June 2001 along with a further US$98,000 that was frozen in the couple's local bank account.

The couple were held without charges being laid for some time. [cite hansard | url= http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/reps/dailys/dr040401.pdf| house= Australian House of Representatives| date= 4 April 2001| page= 68 ] [cite press release| title = Hopes Australian couple jailed in Laos will soon be released| language = English | publisher = The World Today | date = 30 March 2001 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s269301.htm| ] The couple were tried on 28 June 2001 in the Vientiane Municiple Court and sentenced to seven years imprisonment for embezzlement, destruction of evidence and tax evasion. [cite press release| title = Danes Jailed| language = English | publisher = ABC News | date = 28 June 2001 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s320875.htm| ] After extensive political lobbying between the Australian and Laos governments, they were released on October 8 2001, but not permitted to leave the country. They were placed under house arrest at the residence of the Australian ambassador to Laos, Jonathan Thwaites until on November 6 2001 when a pardon was issuedFact|date=June 2008 with a condition of them paying US$463,885 and 700 baht for the stolen property to the plaintiff and US$66,847 for the tax debt. The Danes' promptly exited the country, but to date it is understood that the payments have not been made despite high level protests from the Laos government. [cite press release| title = Released Australian Couple Slanders Government | language = English | publisher = Permanent Mission of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United Nations | date = 5 September 2002 | url = http://www.un.int/lao/5_sept_2002.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-09 ]

At the time of the release, the Australian Government officials who were advising them said that the agreement was simply a diplomatic face-saving exercise. [cite press release| title = Laos government asks Danes for $1m | language = English | publisher = ABC | date = 27 August 2002 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s659886.htm | accessdate = 2002-27-08 ]

Following a year-long battle, the Australian Government proved Kay and Kerry’s innocence and they returned home on November 9, 2001. [cite press release| title = Kay crusades for families behind bars | language = English | publisher = Bayside Bulletin Newspaper | date = 12 June 2008 | url = http://redland.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/kay-crusades-for-families-behind-bars/788561.aspx | accessdate = 2008-06-12 ]

In May 2008 Kay Danes released a new book, not only about her own case, but highlighting the plight of others imprisoned in foreign jails:

*cite book | last = Danes | first = Kay | year = 2008 | title = Families Behind Bars: Stories of injustice, endurance and hope| publisher = New Holland Publishers | location = Australia | id = ISBN 978-1-741106-76-3. In 2006 Kay Danes published an account of their ordeal:
*cite book | last = Danes | first = Kay | year = 2006 | title = Nightmare in Laos : the true story of a woman imprisoned in a Communist gulag| publisher = Maverick House | location = Ireland | id = ISBN 978-1-905379-08-8. She had previously published a book in 2002:
*cite book | last = Danes | first = Kay |year = 2002 | title = Deliver us from evil : bad things do happen to good people | publisher = Crown Content | location = North Melbourne, Victoria | id = ISBN 1740950259

ee also

*List of Australians imprisoned or executed abroad
*Australian Special Air Service Regiment
*Laos

References

External links

*http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/lao_sapphires.htm
*http://www.phaseloop.com/foreignprisoners/political_prisoners.html
*http://www.un.int/lao/5_sept_2002.htm
*http://www.maverickhouse.com/books/nightmareinlaos.php
*http://www.myaustralia.ws/danes/kd.pdf
*http://www.kaydanes.com
*http://redland.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/kay-crusades-for-families-behind-bars/788561.aspx
*http://www.kerrianne.com.au/public_panel/todays_show.php?id=115
*http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA26/004/2002/en/dom-ASA260042002en.html