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Chen's pitch to Congress may fuel row
with China
By Craig Skehan
July 20, 2005
The Chinese defector Chen Yonglin flew out of
Australia yesterday to give evidence to a US
congressional human rights committee, in a move that
threatens to exacerbate tensions between Australia and
China.
The Howard Government described the hearing, beginning
tomorrow, as an opportunity for Mr Chen to
substantiate claims that China spied on and harassed
pro-democracy activists in Australia.
However, an official at the Chinese embassy in
Canberra told the 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.
A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department said
last night: "Mr Chen is free to travel
wherever he likes. It is not a matter for us. If his
appearance before the sub-committee can provide an
opportunity to substantiate his claims, we would
welcome that."
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Mr Chen was given a protection visa by the Australian
Government last month, six weeks after he abandoned
his position as first secretary at the Chinese
consulate in Sydney and sought political asylum.
Before flying out from Sydney Airport yesterday Mr
Chen said he wanted to alert the American people to "persecution"
by China's communist authorities.
Mr Chen says that as a consular official he was
ordered to spy on pro-democracy activists in Australia,
notably the Falun Gong group, which Beijing brands a
seditious cult.
Mr Chen is due to testify with a member of the
secessionist Uighur ethnic minority, a pro-democracy
newspaper representative and Veena Siddharth of Human
Rights Watch.
The sub-committee is to examine alleged human rights
abuses by the Chinese Government against Falun Gong
members.
Associates yesterday confirmed Chen had spoken to
Australian intelligence officials about his claims
that a huge Chinese spy network in Australia was
monitoring critics of Beijing.
He was directed not to disclose the nature of his
discussions with Australian intelligence. A
spokeswoman for the Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock,
who is responsible for ASIO, said last night there
would be no comment on any information received from
Mr Che
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