By Michael Gawenda Herald Correspondent in Washington and Craig Skehan
23
July 2005
Senior American politicians have heaped praise on the Chinese
defector Chen Yonglin, the former consul for political affairs in the Chinese
consulate in Sydney, after his address to a US congressional committee in Washington.
Mr Chen repeated claims that more than 1000 Chinese secret agents and informants
were tracking and persecuting Falun Gong members. "In each Chinese mission
overseas, there must be at least one official in charge of Falun Gong affairs,
he said.
He appeared before the global human rights subcommittee of the
House committee on international relations, with several experts on China’s repression
of religious groups.
Mr Chen – who defected almost two months ago and after
a delay was granted a protection visa – spoke mainly about attempts by Chinese
diplomats and others in Australia to silence Falun Gong members and supporters.
He was congratulated for his testimony, with the chairman of the subcommittee,
Chris Smith, saying it was "absolutely explosive".
Mr Chen, in
his written statement, said the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the Falun
Gong was a systematic and broad-based campaign.
In Sydney, he said,
the consulate undertook regular anti-Falun Gong propaganda campaigns aimed at
convincing local government officials and state MPs that the Falun Gong was a
dangerous xx.
"The consulate’s work has been very successful, with
only a handful of NSW parliamentarians and councillors willing to meet Falun Gong
practitioners."
He said the consulate had mobilised Chinese people
and companies to "squeeze the Falun Gong’s living space".
"The
consulate paid certain Chinese scholars the fee for trips to China to encourage
them to speak against the Falun Gong on TV or write articles for newspapers,"
Mr Chen said. "Some visa applicants were asked to swear at the Falun Gong
demonstrators in front of the consulate."
In a separate development,
the Australian Federal Police will testify before an Australian Senate committee
investigating alleged confidentiality breaches in the asylum case of Mr Chen.
There have been claims Australian immigration officials and the Foreign Affairs
Minister, Alexander Downer, contravened the Immigration Act by talking to Chinese
authorities about the asylum request. Mr Downer told Parliament on June 14 that
at no time did he or his department "improperly convey" information
about Mr Chen’s intentions. He acknowledged a "brief discussion" about
Mr Chen with the Chinese ambassador, Fu Ying. Madame Fu said on June 6 the Australian
Government had asked her whether Mr Chen would face persecution if he returned
to China. "And I said he won’t," she said.
The Falun Gong meditation
group is due to appear before the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee
in Sydney on Monday.
Mr Chen and another defector, Hao Fengjun, a former
Chinese internal security operative, will testify before committee members in
Canberra on Tuesday.
The Opposition’s foreign affairs spokesman, Kevin
Rudd, said yesterday the long delay in granting Mr Chen a protection visa was
"inexcusable" and Mr Downer’s response to complaints over confidentiality
breaches had been inadequate.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/spies-lies-and-persecution/2005/07/22/11
21539154791.html?oneclick=true
Posting date: 23/Jul/2005
Original article date: 23/Jul/2005
Category:
Media Report
