Jun 04, 2005

Senior Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin (C), 37, asks for political asylum in Australia during a rally marking the 16th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, in Sydney, 04 June 2005. Chen told the media that he abandoned his post at the Chinese consulate-general in Sydney because of dissatisfaction with the Chinese government and said he would be persecuted if returned to Beijing. Torsten Blackwood/AFP

SYDNEY -- A Chinese diplomat from the Chinese Consulate in Sydney told a June 4th Commemoration rally for the Tiananmen Square Massacre that he had sought political asylum in Australia.

Mr. Chen, a former 1st Secretary and Consul for Political Affairs, said that he and his family had left the Chinese Consulate a week ago to defect. He said that his job in Sydney had been to "monitor" political dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners in Australia, but that he had become disillusioned and could no longer support the CCP's persecution.

Mr. Chen said that the CCP has "thousands" of secret agents in Australia who monitor and report on Falun Gong practitioners, and try to interfere with their activities in Australia. He said this is normal policy for the Chinese Government.

Mr. Chen said that he had met with officials of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) on Tuesday but that they had refused him political asylum, and told him to apply for a refugee protection visa instead.

Obviously agitated and anxious, Mr. Chen stumbled over his words at times. "DFAT told me the Chinese Government wants me back, and Australia doesn't want me", he said. "They obviously don't want to offend China."

Mr. Chen told the rally that he had been in hiding with his family, and was being helped by "supporters of democracy". He said that he feared for his life, and that this was the reason he had spoken out in public, hoping that the Australian Government would help to protect him.

He said that he had given the DFAT officials details of three kidnappings of Chinese defectors or dissidents, and said that two of them had been sentenced to death in China.

According to Chen, one person had been kidnapped by Chinese agents in Australia, and had been taken by small boat from the coast and transferred to a Chinese cargo ship at sea. The dissident was executed upon return to China. Chen said that he feared that the same thing would happen to him if he and his family were not given asylum.

Mr. Chen said he was ready to give out details of the CCP agents' activities in Australia, and of the persecution of Falun Gong, in exchange for protection. He promised to reveal to Australians "everything I know" about threats by Chinese foreign agents "to the Australian society and its people".

A spokesperson for DFAT was reported to have said on Friday that Mr. Chen had applied for a protection visa to the Immigration Department, not for political asylum. Mr. Chen insists that he applied for asylum. After speaking at the rally, Mr. Chen went back into hiding.

Source http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-6-4/29293.html