On May 26, 2005, former Chinese diplomat, Mr. Chen Yonglin, gave up his position at the Sydney Consulate as the consul for political affairs and sought political asylum with the Australian Department of Immigration. In August of the same year, he was granted a permanent protection visa in Australia. A year after he defected to Australia, the Sound of Hope Radio Station interviews Chen.
Sound of Hope Host: It was about this time last year that you left the Chinese consulate. Now that a year has gone by, could you share with us what you have experienced?
Chen Yonglin: Time has passed very quickly! There have been many moments this past year that I sighed with emotion. Looking back at the past year, it has been the most difficult one for me.
Sound of Hope: When you first stepped out, you appeared very nervous and anxious. Now you appear completely different. What has gone through your mind this past year?
Chen: At that time, I felt extremely unsafe. First, being a person from mainland China, I was lacked trust and had warped notions when handling relationships with people, so I had absolutely no confidence in the Australian government. Second, I knew there was a massive spy network in Australia, and I had already clearly felt their readiness to make a move on me, so I was in an extremely unsafe situation. The situation was, in reality, rather tense at the time.
Sound of Hope: Then how do you feel now?
Chen: Now things are different because the pursuit of spiritual freedom is something that I have pursued for many years. Now the environment that I feel is one that is relaxed. Now that I am in the land of Australia, this land of freedom, I can say what I want without any concerns about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) might say.
Sound of Hope: How would you evaluate yourself this past year? What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been?
Chen: The superior accomplishment is the feeling that I have found myself, especially having personally found a form of spiritual freedom. The period that I have just gone through, I feel that I have at least regained my conscience, to be a Chinese person with conscience.
After obtaining my visa, many people told me to just live a good life and not get mixed up with pro-democracy activists and especially with Falun Gong practitioners. My response was that I stepped out to preserve the integrity of my conscience and pursue spiritual freedom. After my successful escape, I cannot, in the end, lose my conscience again.
So after I defected, I appeared before the Senate in the United States and Australia as a witness. I also went to other places such as the European Union, England, and Belgium to provide evidence and deliver speeches on China's human rights issues. The efforts were all for the people who are still suffering from the CCP's persecution and especially to appeal for Falun Gong practitioners.
We have to at least reveal to the international community the CCP's false creation of its own legitimacy. To let more people know the truth about what is now happening in China besides the false images and reports about its booming economy.
Sound of Hope: Just now you also mentioned about constantly appealing for the human rights activists and Falun Gong practitioners in China. In the beginning, you were monitoring the Falun Gong then later you had numerous contacts with Falun Gong practitioners. What is your impression of Falun Gong now?
Chen: My impression of Falun Gong is that it is severely persecuted and completely discredited by the CCP. It is a spiritual group that follows the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance. It can only be good for the Chinese society, not bad. The anti-persecution movement is in fact unprecedented. Especially when you consider that the CCP has for more than 50 years, been brainwashing its own people to become obedient and willing-to-be-enslaved animals, which is the same as having no brains at all. Falun Gong is saving China from its current state of eliminating human nature and total destruction of morality. I have no doubt that it is the most effective method. Therefore, I feel that to evaluate whether a Chinese person has conscience or not, one only has to look at this person's attitude towards Falun Gong. Is the person sympathetic or cold, supportive or against it. You will be able to tell whether this person has a conscience or not.
Sound of Hope: It is recently reported that in mainland China, organs are harvested from living Falun Gong practitioners without consent, and then the organs are sold for profit. The Falun Gong Minghui website established the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution to investigate these matters. Are you a member of this coalition?
Chen: As a member of the coalition, even if I cannot attend the investigations in person, I give the group complete moral support. I completely believe the communist party harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners to use in organ transplants—the party is fully capable of committing such a crime. The CCP is an evil organization that stops at nothing. For example, many Chinese have died in the hands of the communist party throughout its historical campaigns such as the so-called Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the cases of cannibalism in Guangxi Province. In addition, the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre also proves that the CCP will commit any inhuman actions while in power.
According to reports, the communist party arranged a tour of the Sujiatun concentration camp for investigators from the United States. That is practically having the criminals lead investigators to collect evidence. In the end, the U.S. investigators found no evidence, but a communist party supervised investigation is unreliable in the first place. This is the same as when the Nazis opened up their concentration camps for the international Red Cross and claimed that there was no mass murder taking place. The CCP is the most cunning organization in history, and it cleanly executes its crimes and cleverly covers up all evidence. Therefore, I totally believe the organ harvesting really exists.
Sound of Hope: Besides participating in these human rights related activities, what else are you currently involved in?
Chen: Just living a light life. Actually, my biggest life pursuit isn't limited and directed by any spiritual belief. As a Chinese person, however, I had to come forward and speak the truth since over a hundred million Chinese people are suffering severe persecution in China. These appellants and Falun Gong practitioners who have received severe persecution are pricking my conscience. If I have the slightest influence, I would hope to be able to speak a few words for these people and let more people know the evil and inhuman crimes of the CCP.
Sound of Hope: During the past year that you have come forward, whether it is from the Australian public, Congresspersons, friends or Chinese people, you must have received much help. Is there a person or group to whom you would like to express the most gratitude?
Chen: I first want to thank the conscientious Australian public. They are very alert about the human rights issues in China. I also want to thank the United States. During my stay in the United States, I felt that Americans have the world's strongest faith in human rights and democracy. At the same time, I would like to especially thank Falun Gong practitioners for changing my view of humanity. Falun Gong practitioners have greatly influenced me, especially their belief in truth, compassion and tolerance.
Sound of Hope: The Sound of Hope broadcasts for 11 hours in mainland China and has many listeners. Would you like to use this opportunity to say something to the mainland audience?
Chen: What I want to say to mainland audience is that I hope I can see the day the CCP controlled society will quickly conclude. Only when China has democracy can the Chinese people have spiritual freedom and freedom of speech and belief.
That is why many people pursing freedom and democracy are imprisoned in China, and they are continuously suffering for the entire nation. That is why mainlanders should support these people and truly reflect on the CCP's brainwashing of the Chinese people over that past fifty years. Therefore, I recommend they all read the epoch-making book, Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, and then they will understand the truth.
Why would the morals of this society perish so completely? Why are the government officials so thoroughly corrupt? Why has China's entire environment encountered pollution? Why are there many poisonous foods and counterfeit medicines? And why are there so many people appealing?
Also, why did the CCP murder and cause the unnatural deaths of 80 million people during the Cultural Revolution? Why did the CCP also open fire on students on June 4, 1989, during their appeal against the regime?
Why does the CCP fear the peaceful Falun Gong group that advocates truth, compassion and tolerance? Why does the CCP suppress underground churches and believers? Why does the CCP control religious organizations? Why does the CCP create its constitution only to disregard it? These questions are worth pondering for the Chinese people.
Every Chinese person should read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. This book is truly mystical and the result of many people's painstaking efforts, energy and even freedom. I hope everyone can take a look. They will understand many things clearly after just reading it once.
(From a Sound of Hope Recording)
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