 As a condition of release in October 2001, the Danes agreed to pay the June 2001 court-ordered $AUD1.1 million in fines and compensation in four equal instalments.When told that the Lao government was considering court action for non-payment in August 2002, Kay Danes argued on ABC Local Radio that the agreement was simply a diplomatic face-saving exercise, and she felt that the Australian government should intervene on their behalf again because she would be "executed" if forced to return to Laos.The Australian Foreign Minister's press secretary advised that the issue was a private legal matter between the Laos government and the Danes.