BBC Monitoring International Reports: Hong Kong Falun Gong Not Surprised By Claims Of Chinese Spy Network In Australia

June 9, 2005

Text of report by Radio Australia, Melbourne on 9 June

In Hong Kong, the Falun Gong spiritual group says it is not surprised at the latest claims that up to a thousand spies are operating in Australia. Two Chinese defectors in Australia claim China has a large spy network operating in the country. Both Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun claim they will be persecuted if they are forced to return to China.

The Falun Gong movement, which is banned in China, says the defectors claims are not surprising. The Falun Gong spokesperson in Hong Kong, (Sharon Shu), says widespread surveillance in China is common knowledge.

[Shu] It is not that surprising because in Hong Kong people know there are many people or seeds planted by China that actually are working for Beijing because after 1997, the handover of Hong Kong back to China, they thought that now we are back to China, there is no need to cover up any more. A lot of them revealed themselves. To Hong Kong people, it is not surprising that China can plant people.