| Peter Joseph Van Tongeren | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 |
| Alias(es) | Jack van Tongeren |
| Conviction(s) | Arson |
Jack van Tongeren (legal name Peter Joseph Van Tongeren) (born 1947) has been described as a white supremacist and extreme right wing Australian activist by the media. He was the leader of the neo-Nazi Australian Nationalist Movement (ANM). He served 13 years 1 month and 6 days in prison from 1989-2002 for arson, after firebombing businesses owned by Asians in Western Australia. He was tried in absentia.
"Jack" is a nickname acquired during his university days. It was during his university days onwards that he began to question the accepted views on history, economics, science, etc. He served in Vietnam as a corporal in a combat unit, B Company 2RAR/NZ (The ANZAC battalion) 1970-71.
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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. He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in the 1984 election on an independent ticket, attaining 1,077 votes (0.13%).
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 after he was suspected as being a police informer.
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.
In August 2004, Van Tongeren was re-arrested and charged with plotting to commit four arson attacks and 19 counts of criminal damage.
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 a hearing on 2 November, Van Tongeren had collapsed, was taken to hospital, and later used a wheelchair[1].
Van Tongeren was released from jail on the condition that he leave Western Australia. He currently resides in the eastern states [2].