Posted on 08/16/2005 6:11:56 PM PDT by Petey139
SYDNEY (AFP) - A former Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia has charged that Beijing has sent a hit squad to kill him, but Canberra said the claim should be treated with caution.
Chen Yonglin, 37, who was last month granted a permanent protection visa after abandoning his post at the Chinese consulate-general in Sydney in late May, told ABC television a friend had warned him that assassins were on his trail.
"I receive a message from one of my closest friends in China, working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that the government has sent -- one month ago -- a three-member team to conduct an operation called 'decapitation strike'," Chen said.
Beijing wanted to shut him up and send a warning to others not to defect, he told ABC's Lateline programme Tuesday night, adding that he believed the assassins had entered the country on business visas.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, however, was sceptical.
"It would be highly improbable that the Chinese would be sending assassination squads around the world chasing people who have got protection visas of one kind or another," he said.
"I haven't ever heard of it happening, at least in modern times."
A spokeswoman for the Chinese embassy dismissed Chen's claims as absurd.
Chen, who said after his defection that a network of 1,000 Chinese spies operated in Australia, told Lateline he was already under surveillance and confronted a Chinese man filming him and his family in a Sydney restaurant on Monday.
The owner of the restaurant has confirmed there was a confrontation involving Chen at his premises and New South Wales police are investigating the incident.
God knows how many of those so called Hit Squads are in the United States.
These are the kinds of people that Bill Clinton prostituted national security for.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, however, was sceptical.
"It would be highly improbable that the Chinese would be sending assassination squads around the world chasing people who have got protection visas of one kind or another," he said.
"I haven't ever heard of it happening, at least in modern times."
When you're a pro, no one knows.
If the Chinese can't assassinate someone within a month of entering the country, they are pretty inept.
Don't worry. Team America, World Police will protect you. LOL.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.