Chen Yonglin - Background

Background

Chen had been a university student in Beijing during the pro-democracy movement that ultimately led to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Several of his friends were wounded in the ensuing repression by the government. He was said to have undergone political reeducation after the subsequent crackdown on dissidents, and joined the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. This culminated in his posting as the consul for political affairs in the Chinese consulate in Sydney, Australia. In this position, Chen has stated that he was responsible for monitoring Chinese political dissidents, especially Falun Gong, living in Australia. He also reportedly had access to highly classified information on Chinese intelligence activities in Australia. Chen has claimed that he had "gone easy" on dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners and had not reported some actions, to protest China's policies towards political dissent. He has also suggested that the Chinese government was becoming suspicious of his activities, and that as a result, he fears for his safety if returned to China. Chen remains unapologetic over his defection, insisting that he betrayed the Communist Party of China, not China.

Factors contributing to the defection, according to Chen, are the torture and death of his father during the Cultural Revolution, his witness of the Tiananmen Massacre, the persecution against the Falun Gong imposed by the Chinese Authorities.