John Holloway (diplomat)

John Holloway
Born	(1943-02-19)19 February 1943 Deniliquin, New South Wales
Died	12 March 2013(2013-03-12) (aged 70) Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of New South Wales (MA)
Occupation(s)	Public servant, diplomat, adviser
Children	3 daughters, 2 sons

John Holloway (19 February 1943 – 12 March 2013) was a former Australian diplomat who played a pivotal role in the Cambodian peace process and in fostering Australia's diplomatic ties in Southeast Asia. He was notably one of the first Western diplomats accredited to the Supreme National Council (SNC) of Cambodia, a body established under the Paris Peace Agreements, and remained in Cambodia for over two decades, including time as Australian Ambassador to Cambodia from 1992 to 1994.

During his career as a diplomat, Holloway was considered an expert in Southeast Asian affairs. His career highlights included the following:

• Third Secretary in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta (March 1966 to March 1968)
• First Secretary in the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur (September 1970 to September 1973)
• Counsellor in the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby (December 1973 to December 1975)
• Deputy High Commissioner, Australian High Commission in New Delhi (February 1979 to January 1981)
• Minister in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta (January 1981 to May 1983)
• Australian Ambassador to the Philippines (December 1986 to March 1989)
• Deputy Director General in AIDAB, Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (April 1989 to November 1991)
• Permanent Representative to the Supreme National Council of Cambodia and later Australian Ambassador to Cambodia (November 1991 to July 1993)

Early Life and Career

Holloway began his diplomatic career with postings in Indonesia, where he served from 1965 to 1969, before continuing his career in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and India. In 1981, he was reassigned to Indonesia and appointed Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 1986, he became Australia’s Ambassador to the Philippines during a time of significant political upheaval following the "People Power" revolution that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos.

Before being posted to Cambodia in 1991, Holloway served as Deputy Director General of the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB), now known as the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Role in Cambodia

Holloway arrived in Cambodia in 1991 as one of the first Western diplomats accredited to the Supreme National Council (SNC), the transitional government created by the Paris Peace Agreements to oversee the country’s transition to democracy. Between 1991 and 1992, he managed more than 60 staff at the Australian Permanent Mission to the SNC, which was chaired by Prince Norodom Sihanouk and supervised the 1993 United Nations-backed elections.

From 1993 to 1994, Holloway served as Australia’s Ambassador to the newly-formed Kingdom of Cambodia. He later worked as an advisor to Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation until 1995. He returned to Australia in 1995 to complete a master's degree at the University of New South Wales, focusing on Cambodian belief systems.

Key Role in the Cambodian Peace Process

Holloway was instrumental in Australia's diplomatic engagement in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia. In the 1980s, after the election of a Labor government in Australia, Holloway helped to relax the country's participation in the US-led Western embargo against the People’s Republic of Kampuchea, which was also supported by ASEAN countries and China. In 1984, Holloway facilitated a secret meeting between Australian Foreign Minister Bill Hayden and Cambodia’s then-Foreign Minister Hun Sen in Ho Chi Minh City.

He later worked closely with Foreign Minister Gareth Evans to support the Cambodian peace process, helping shape Australia’s approach to Cambodia during a critical period in the country's history.

Diplomatic Contributions and Advisor Roles

In 1997, Holloway returned to Cambodia as an advisor to the Ministry of Interior, where he contributed to drafting a five-year work plan and provided strategic advice to Ministers and senior officials. He also helped develop the Ministry’s vision and played a significant role in improving the skills of middle-ranking and junior officials.

Holloway’s work extended beyond the Ministry of Interior, as he also advised the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, and the Municipality of Phnom Penh. Additionally, he worked with various international organizations, including the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Later Work and Legacy

In addition to his advisory roles, Holloway contributed to several local organizations. He served on the board of Krom Aphiwat Phoum, a progressive village development association, and was deputy director of Crossroads Consultancies Group, an NGO focused on socio-economic, health-related, and governance surveys in Cambodia.

Throughout his career, Holloway’s work as a diplomat and advisor significantly impacted Cambodia’s development and its peace-building efforts, earning him recognition as one of Australia's foremost experts on the region.

Falsely Accused under Parliamentary Privilege

In June 1995, controversial Victorian MP Ken Aldred falsely claimed under the protections of parliamentary privilege that Holloway was one of more than 20 child sexual abusers within the Department of Foreign Affairs. Aldred had previously worked under Holloway, but their working relationship had been strained, giving rise to a widley held belief that the accusation was a retaliatory act on Aldred's part. The Minister for Development Co-operation, Mr Gordon Bilney described Aldred's clams as "scurrilous" and "shameful".

Holloway was recalled to Australia, having vigorously denied the accusation. Magistrate Michael Somes, threw out the case ruling that the evidence tendered by the alleged victims had been full of discrepancies and was unreliable, adding he had doubts about the boys' credibility. Somes described the testimony of the chief witness as "worthless" with one of the alleged victims cautioned for lying to the court.

The allegation against Holloway was one of many falsehoods perpetrated by Aldred leading to his disendorsement by the Liberal Party for the 1996 federal election. In additional to Holloway, Aldred claimed under parliamentary privilege that the Secretary of The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Michael Costello and prominent Jewish layer Mark Leibler had engaged in activity concerned with drug running, improper links with a foreign intelligence service, and had received illicit funds. Costello vehemently denied the allegations calling them "outrageous" and "grievously harmful to my standing and reputation", while the accusation against Leibler was considered to be anti-Semetic. The documents leading to these allegation were later found to be forged.

In 1989, Aldred had been suspended from the House of Representatives for falsely accusing Labor MP Lewis Kent of being "an agent of a foreign power" and had ties to the UDBA, the Yugoslav secret police. Kent vigorously denied their claims, describing them as a smear campaign.

In 2007, Aldred was unanimously stripped of preselection for the Victorian seat of Holt by the Victorian Liberal Party on the grounds that he was "not a suitable person to receive the endorsement".

Later Life

Having cleared his name, Holloway returned to Cambodia, working tirelessly as an adviser to the highest levels of Cambodian government, including King Norodom Sihanouk, while working with numerous international bodies and non-government organisations for the betterment of the Cambodian people. He died in Cambodia in March 2013 after a battle with cancer.