Chen Yonglin, a 37-year-old senior Chinese diplomat at the Chinese Consulate in Sydney, is seeking asylum from the Australian government, saying he does not want to continue to persecute Falun Gong practitioners and other dissidents. To extend the persecution of Falun Gong, the Chinese government sent a large number of special agents abroad disguised as diplomats to collect information on Falun Gong. Chen has set an example for other overseas Chinese diplomats and special agents.

Photo: Chen Yonglin declares his withdrawal from the Chinese Communist Party (The Epoch Times photo)

According to media reports, Chen was scheduled to return to mainland China later this year. Because he has been supportive of Falun Gong, he fears persecution once he returns to China.

Chen said that since he left the Chinese consulate, security staff have been following him. If he returns to China, he will definitely be punished. He also said his role at the consulate was monitoring Chinese democracy advocates in Australia and Falun Gong practitioners, abducting them, and sending them back to China. However, he is opposed to the CCP's policies and has not actively monitored and reported on these groups. Although the economy in China is growing, people have no freedom or human rights.

Chen said that as a consul, his main job was to "implement CCP's policies, persecute Falun Gong practitioners in New South Wales Province, monitor their activities, including hiring people to collect information on their activities." He disclosed that there were about 1,000 Chinese spies in Australia, and that they had conducted several abductions.

Chen said that the Chinese government's policy against Falun Gong is "sternly opposing, actively attacking, gaining [the Australian government's] support, and winning public opinion [in Australia]."

He said he had assisted Falun Gong practitioners and feared persecution by the Chinese government. He said, "I'm currently seeking political asylum in Australia. My situation is very dangerous. Chinese special agents are looking for me everywhere and could kidnap me." He said his wife and 6-year-old daughter are also in hiding with him, and he worries about their safety. If he were deported to China, he is sure to suffer from retaliation.

Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, 2,457 Falun Gong practitioners are verified to have died from the persecution. To suppress Falun Gong, the Chinese government has sent a large number of special agents to other countries. These agents not only interfere with the affairs of the local government, but also commit many crimes on foreign soil.

The Wall Street Journal published an article on the Chinese diplomats' interference with Falun Gong's appeals in the United States, citing evidence revealing numerous instances of harassment by Chinese diplomats of Falun Gong practitioners in the United States. The CCP orders its consulates and embassies to conduct anti-Falun Gong activities, including writing slanderous letters and visiting government officials, local media, and politicians, warning them to stay away from Falun Gong.

Ambassadors, consuls and other diplomats outside China have actively spread hate propaganda against Falun Gong, infiltrated overseas Chinese organizations, collected overseas Falun Gong practitioners' personal information, and created blacklists of overseas Falun Gong practitioners.

In Chen's asylum application to the immigration department in Australia, he said that over the past four years, he had used "evil means" to help the CCP persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The guilt has given him frequent nightmares. He said, "If I had returned to China, I am sure I would continue to be in charge of the Falun Gong issue because of my prior experience. I would rather die than be forced to continue to do this."

Chen Yonglin also publicly announced his withdrawal from the CCP in Sydney.

Falun Gong practitioners welcome Chen's opposition to the CCP's persecution policies, and they urge Chinese diplomats overseas to not be involved in the persecution. The world will soon know the truth of the persecution against Falun Gong, and all those who participated in it will have to bear responsibility.

The annual Heights Festival and Parade in the city of Burnaby, Canada were held on June 4, 2005. Falun Gong practitioners were invited for the third time to participate in the celebration. As more and more people practice Falun Gong, the Falun Gong procession has become longer and longer and the practitioners' performances richer and richer. Spectators often warmly applauded. People also took pictures and videotaped the beautiful scene.

Falun Gong practitioners' procession

Parade procession

Waist drum troupe

Enthusiastic spectators

Falun Gong exercise demonstration on the float

Graceful dance

When local Chinese people saw the Falun Gong practitioners' procession, they showed their excitement and felt proud. When practitioners handed out truth-clarifying materials, most Chinese people naturally took them.

Due to practitioners' persistent efforts in clarifying the truth, Burnaby city government officials and council members have relatively good understandings about Falun Dafa. They issued proclamations celebrating Falun Dafa week and Falun Dafa month each May over the past three years.

When Burnaby Mayor Mr. Derek R. Corrigan issued the proclamation in May 2004, he praised Falun Gong practitioners for having brought the most beautiful part of the Chinese culture to Canada, and allowing his citizens to enjoy the practice, which is good for improving their health and harmonizing their minds.

The city's newspaper, Burnaby Now, once published an article entitled, "Group wants help." The article introduced the persecution encountered by Falun Gong in China. It focused on the shooting attack against Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa. The article mentioned that the city mayor had already taken action in support of Falun Gong and hoped to contact more city council members and local residents to take individual actions to help stop the persecution and support Falun Gong.