Chen Yonglin - Defection and Allegations

Defection and Allegations

On 26 May 2005, Chen walked out of the consulate with his wife and daughter. On that day he reportedly met an officer from the Department of Immigration who contacted the Chinese consulate to verify Chen's identity. A Senate inquiry later criticized the government for this action, citing Chen's stated concern that such contact would put his life in danger. On 31 May he met with a representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Chen has stated that he was told at this meeting that his request for political asylum had been rejected, but that he could apply for a protection visa. The story broke to the international media on 3 June, when Chen contacted The Australian newspaper, sparking fears of a serious diplomatic incident between the two nations.

On 4 June, though he allegedly feared being kidnapped, Chen came out of hiding to address a rally commemorating the 16th anniversary of the deaths in Tiananmen Square. During his speech, he claimed he would "reveal everything he knows". He also claimed that the Chinese government had more than a thousand agents in Australia, and that they were responsible for monitoring and kidnapping Chinese nationals back to China. Furthermore, Chen claimed that in one particular case in early 2000, Chinese agents in Sydney had kidnapped a student to force his father, Lan Fu, a former senior Chinese official to return to China.

After the June 4th rally, Chen once again went into hiding, having claimed that he was under constant surveillance and in fear of his life. On 5 June, the Chinese embassy released a statement claiming that Chen was due to return home and had invented allegations of wrongdoing in the hope that he would be allowed to stay. The statement was intended to alleviate fears for Chen's safety if he returned to China.