China link alleged in judge’s Kiribati deportation saga

An Australian jurist who served on the Kiribati High Court says an attempt to deport him from the country was tied to China’s growing influence in the region

Justice David Lambourne lived in Kiribati for almost three decades before the government tried to deport him last week.

An Australian jurist who served on the Kiribati High Court says an attempt to deport him from the Pacific country was linked to China’s growing influence in the region, as the government tries to “ruin” his wife’s political career.

Judge David Lambourne, who was released from detention on Friday after government officials tried to deport him to Australia, said he was the victim of a politically motivated campaign against his wife, Tessie Lambourne, the Opposition Leader of Kiribati.

The 55-year-old said there was “strong circumstantial evidence” to suggest Ms Lambourne’s position on China and previous role as ambassador to Taiwan had played a hand in the government’s treatment of her and their attempt to deport him.

“There’s no evidence to suggest China has a direct role in what’s happening, but there’s strong circumstantial evidence … China’s strong preference would be to maintain this government in power,” he said.

“Having a strong, articulate and eloquent opposition leader who speaks out is clearly not in this government’s best interest.”

Ms Lambourne, the country’s most senior civil servant before being appointed ambassador in Taipei in 2018, became Kiribati’s Opposition Leader in June 2020.

In July, she emerged as one of President Taneti Maamau’s staunch­est critics following his last-minute decision to withdraw Kiribati’s delegation from the ­Pacific Islands Forum.

Ms Lambourne, 51, said the withdrawal was clear evidence of China’s growing influence in the region and a further attempt to isolate Kiribati and other pacific nations from Australia and New Zealand.

She said Mr Maamau’s government was indebted to China as the superpower moved to stamp its authority across the region.

China’s embassy in Fiji described the opposition leader’s ­allegations as “groundless”.

Tessie Lambourne meets with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen in June 2018.

“The PRC acts in a subtle and sophisticated way in regions like Kiribati,” Justice Lambourne said. “They would never be so blunt as to take a direct role in encouraging my deportation, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if China had said to the government that they would have major concerns if my wife were ever elected into government.”

He said the failed attempt to deport him was driven by a “mistaken assumption” by the government that Ms Lambourne would quit politics and leave the country to be with him.

Justice Lambourne won a High Court claim against the ­Kiribati government in December after it refused to let him return to the ­Pacific country and sought on the High Court to end his tenure.

The father of five returned to Kiribati on August 1 after being stranded in Australia for more than two years. He has lived in ­Kiribati for 27 years.