A Sydney Falun Gong practitioner has called on more Chinese officials to speak out about China's treatment of the movement.

Sydney-based Chinese resident Li Ying today said she was aware the Chinese government was spying on her because of her involvement with Falun Gong, a claim backed a Chinese official seeking asylum in Australia.

Hao Feng Jun, 32, who says he worked as a security officer in Tianjin in China's north, said last night China has a large spy network operating overseas.

Mr Hao used Ms Li as an example of one of the victims of the Chinese spy network, claiming he saw reports about her activities in the country.

"They send out businessmen and students out to overseas countries as spies," Mr Hao told the ABC's Lateline program last night.

"They also infiltrate the Falun Gong and other dissident groups."

Last month, Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin, 37, abandoned his post at the Chinese consulate-general in Sydney on May 26. He is now in hiding, seeking asylum in Australia.

He claimed China had some 1,000 spies working in Australia, with Falun Gong practitioners among those targeted, and said he faced persecution if he returned home.

Ms Li was grateful Mr Hao had spoken out and called on more Chinese officials to do the same.

"I really want to support him and I want more people to know about this and more people like him to do something and stand up to stop this prosecution and tell the truth of what they have done to Falun Gong," she said.

Since her arrival in Australia in November 2003, Li Ying has claimed she was tortured while in a Chinese labour camp in China in 1999.

Ms Li said she was incarcerated by the Chinese government for being a Falun Gong practitioner and had been spied on ever since.

"I'm very scared because everything I do in Australia, they know, and all family members are in China and I'm very worried about them," Ms Li said.

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Posting date: 6/13/2005
Original article date: 6/12/2005
Category: News & Media Reports

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