SYDNEY (AFP) — A Chinese dissident who was forcibly deported from Australia despite voicing fears of persecution if he was returned to his native country has killed himself, a refugee advocate claimed Monday.
The pro-democracy activist, known only as Mr Zhang, who had complained of being beaten and tortured by authorities after being sent back to China a year ago, has now committed suicide after losing hope, according to Frances Milne.
"To find that he has now committed suicide to avoid further persecution and torture is very, very disappointing and upsetting," said Milne, who worked on Zhang's case and kept in touch with him after he was deported.
"If there is any decency in our government then having a policy of giving protection to people that we've wrongly determined not to be refugees is absolutely crucial. They must do it," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties said Zhang's deportation was in breach of Australia's obligations under the convention against torture.
"He immediately faced torture on his return to China and evidence of that was presented to the Australian government," the council's secretary, Stephen Blanks, told ABC radio.
"We have been pleading with the Australian government to bring him back and there has just been inaction."
Immigration Minister Chris Evans said he was unaware of the case but would seek more information on the fate of Zhang, who spent almost a decade arguing his case for asylum on the grounds that his links to pro-democracy groups put him in danger in China.
"The immigration system relies on us being able to remove people who are not here legally if that's warranted," he told the ABC.
"Clearly when we do that, it's under international law and on the understanding that they won't suffer persecution on their return.
"Any suggestion that someone has suffered persecution would be something that will be looked at quite seriously," Evans said.
Zhang's story sounded "quite tragic", he said.
The centre-left Australian government, which came to power in November, has scrapped some of the tough immigration practices of the previous conservative administration after a series of scandals over the treatment of migrants.
screw themselves up if they start talking about human rights.
he should go to Singapore. PAP will welcome him as a FT!
"beaten and tortured" by "China" until he "committed suicide"
wow, that's what happens when you have dishonorable people in power... they will harass the dissidents to death....
It is a good thing Dr Chee Soon Juan is so tough... the more they send him to jail for walking around, the more they persecute him, the tougher he becomes!!!!!
Use a little bit of brain and try a little bit more rationality. This article, and similar ones covering this story, is just a pathetic smear piece.
Try to see what is the conditions surrounding his death. He commited suicide after spending 1 decade seeking asylum in Australia but got rejected.
What does that mean? My instinct immediately can tell me almost 99% chance he commited suicide because he got depressed and lost hope after he failed to become Australian citizen, and sent back to China. His new life dream cannot be fullfilled and he suicide after 1 year in China.
This article is full of BS anyway, it is saying clearly he spent 1 decade seeking asylum but ultimately rejected, it means what...? You can guess it yourself....Australian government assessment is saying he is not a real asylum seeker....it takes even until 10 years of him sitting in the system, long-term applicant, in the end he is decided to be sent back.
I can imagine this kind of condition, like a refugee or homeless people, maybe he was even jobless for many of those years, so after getting sent back to China after 1 year depression becomes even stronger and seeing no hope he finally suicided.
This event is tragic, just like all suicides in this world are tragic, but wow, see that media propaganda spinning and spinning, what a total BS. Anything and everything is spun to score political points and propaganda points.
Anyone not reading carefully will come with an impression he suicided because of Chinese government torture. What kind of torture is it anyway? So powerful? He did already spent 1 decade overseas in Australia, such a long time, and he did eventually got rejected by the OZ government and sent back. These 2 things tell me he is not an important figure at all. And note carefully he commited suicide after 1 year of arriving in China. What does all those things tell you? So after 1 year he is still receiving the alledged 'torture'? Is it more likely he suicided because he cannot take a painful torture? Or...?? His own mental state??
Meat Pao.