by John Allen
 Chen Yonglin at a Sydney media conference and forum with the Chinese Community on Sunday 10 July. Ken Ng/The Epoch Times |
Republican Henry Hyde, the Chairman of the US congressional
sub-committee on global human rights, has invited Chinese defector, Mr. Chen Yonglin,
a former Ist Secretary at the Sydney Chinese Consulate, to testify before the
Committee, about Chinese spy networks and how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
treats Falun Gong practitioners.
The sub-committee is to examine human
rights abuses by the Chinese Government against Falun Gong practitioners.
Speaking
at Sydney Airport on Tuesday, as he was about to fly to Washington, Mr. Chen said
“My purpose of this trip is to tell the American people that the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP), how CCP rule the Chinese people and what happened in China and I
want to draw the attention of the American people that there are a great number
of Chinese people are still under the persecution of the CCP.”
Mr Chen is also
willing to tell his story to others within the US Government, including intelligence
officials. “I look forward to meeting some US officials if I have time or they
are willing to meet with me.”
A spokesperson for Australian Falun Gong practitioners,
Geoff Gregory, said today, “We welcome the US congressional sub-committee enquiry,
and hope that Mr. Chen is able to provide information about the genocide of Falun
Gong practitioners by the CCP, and the persecution of overseas Falun Gong practitioners
by Chinese Embassies and Consulates. We note the huge difference in response to
these appalling human rights abuses, between the United States and Australian
governments. The Australian government plays down the Chinese abuse of human rights
and has treated Mr. Chen’s defection as an embarrassment.”
An official at the
Chinese embassy in Canberra told the Sydney Morning Herald, last night: “What
Mr Chen has claimed in the past few months is totally untrue.”
Asked about the
hearing, the official said: “We are opposed to any use of human rights to interfere
in China’s internal affairs.”
Mr Chen is not entitled to an Australian passport,
but it is understood the Government has given him an identity document to allow
him to travel overseas.
Mr. Chen abandoned his post as First Secretary of the
Sydney Chinese Consulate-General, in late May and attempted to defect to Australia.
He
said there is a network of 1000 Chinese spies operating in Australia and he feared
for his life if he was forced to return to China.
A second defector and former
610 officer, Hao Fengjun, has backed Mr. Chen’s claims of spying within Australia.
Other Chinese defectors in Canada and Belgium have also backed Mr. Chens assertions.
Mr.
Chen was granted a permanent protection visa two weeks ago. The Australian government
at first refused him protection and informed the Chinese Consulate in Sydney that
he was attempting to defect.
This forced Mr. Chen and his wife and 6 year old
daughter to go into hiding until public pressure forced the Australian government
to issue him with a permanent protection visa.
Mr. Chen also reiterated claims
that China wanted to drive a wedge between Australia and the United States.
Posting
date: 20/Jul/2005
Original article date: 20/Jul/2005
Category: Media Report
