AUSTRALIA – Nationwide rallies were held simultaneously on Saturday, June 11, to support Chinese diplomat, Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun, the 610 officer, who recently defected from the Communist Party and are seeking political asylum in Australia.

Protestors included representatives from Chinese Democracy groups, the Refugee Action Committee, The Australian Greens Party and The Australian Tibetan Association.

They urged the Australian government to grant political asylum to both defectors, saying that their lives would be in severe danger should they return to China.

Event organizer and spokesperson from the Free China organization, Kate Vereshaka, questioned the Australian government’s handling of the defectors and said the men should be allowed to stay.

"We want Mr. Chen and Mr. Hao to be granted political asylum immediately," she said.

"When Chinese officials come to Australia the Government bends over backwards to make sure that their dignity is not impaired and that they are treated respectfully.

"I think these two men deserve the same respect or more from our Government."

Separate demonstrations by Falun Gong practitioners highlighted this issue, rallying against the Australian Government’s misuse of the Vienna Convention to prevent them from protesting outside of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.

Supporters of the meditation practice gathered in Sydney and Melbourne to draw attention to their lawsuit against Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Since Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan visited the Australian capital in 2002, the group has been restricted from protesting against the Chinese government’s torture and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners.

Falun Gong spokesperson, John Deller, called for the government to revoke the embassy ban. He also urged that the asylum cases of the two defectors be handled fairly.
"[These] visa applications must not be influenced by trade and economic considerations," he stated.

Greens Party member and former Melbourne City Councillor, David Risstrom, said there should be a Senate inquiry into the Government's handling of the issue.