Jack van Tongeren

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Jack van Tongeren (legal name Peter Joseph Van Tongeren) (born 1947) is a white supremacist and extreme right wing Australian activist. He is the leader of the neo-Nazi Australian Nationalist Movement (ANM) and noted for his extreme racist views. He served 12 years in prison from 1989-2001 for arson, after firebombing businesses owned by Asians in Western Australia.

"Jack" is a nickname acquired during his army service. As a child he suffered from discrimination because of his part-Asian ancestry. He served in Vietnam in 1969-70. It was after he left the army and went to Perth that he acquired his interest in fascism. Prior to that, he was a practicing Roman Catholic. In 1989 his partly Javanese, mixed Asian-European father, Rudi van Tongeren confirmed that his son had disowned him. Rudi van Tongeren said his son had served in Vietnam and came back "abnormal".

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[edit] 1980s

Van Tongeren in the 1980s posing in front of Holocaust denial and racist ANM campaign posters
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Van Tongeren in the 1980s posing in front of Holocaust denial and racist ANM campaign posters

Van Tongeren was initially a leading light in the Sydney based National Action (NA) neo-Nazi group in the early 1980s. Jack quit NA and went off to form his own organisation, due to his conviction that NA were being soft on Jews.

Van Tongeren's biggest nemesis throughout the eighties, was and is Dr. James "Jim" Saleam, former leader and founder of National Action. For constantly reminding everyone of Van Tongeren’s mixed Asian heritage, Saleam is labelled a "Sand Nigger" by the ANM, due to his own part-middle-eastern background.

In publicity material produced in the 1980s Van Tongeren described Adolf Hitler as the "great one" and referred to himself as simply "leader". Throughout the 1980s the ANM scattered Western Australia with racist posters. The campaign of racial vilification turned uglier when the group began firebombing Asian restaurants and carried out burglaries to finance their operations. During this period, ANM member David Locke was murdered by two associates because they believed he was a police informer.

[edit] 2000s

In July 2004, Van Tongeren reportedly sent a videotaped message to media outlets, attacking people he believed supported multiracialism. These included Western Australia Attorney-General Jim McGinty, Prime Minister John Howard, ASIO head Dennis Richardson "and all MPs who actively support Asianisation and multiracialism and the destruction of our Australian constitution and Aussie way of life". This tape, and police intelligence prompted protective details for the figures named and a wide ranging manhunt.

Van Tongeren was diagnosed as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder in 2003.

In August 2004, Van Tongeren was re-arrested and charged with plotting to commit four arson attacks and 19 counts of criminal damage (relating to a spate of racist graffiti near his home).

On 20 February 2006, Van Tongeren, out on bail pending his trial, failed to report to Police and was believed to be at large and travelling with former ANM member Matthew Billing.

On 23 March, a letter was received by staff at ABC Television Studios, purporting to be from Van Tongeren. It claimed that charges against him were a conspiracy created by the WA Government, and indicated that they would need to be dropped by Attorney-General Jim McGinty, in order for Van Tongeren to return from hiding.

On 4 April, Van Tongeren and his co-accused Matthew Billing were found and arrested in the Boddington area south-east of Perth. Both men once again faced the courts over the 2004 arson plots. During the trial, Van Tongeren had collapsed and was taken to hospital and was later confined to a wheelchair. [1]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Van Tongeren Stella "The West Australian" 20.10.90, "The Age" (Melbourne) 20.10.90
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