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News.com.au
10-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Close watch': Bizarre reason for alleged Chinese spying on Aussie Buddhist group
It all seems very innocent - a Buddhist charity that serves free vegetarian food from a commercial building in Canberra, right next-door to a security firm called 'Five Eyes Consulting.' So why would China want to dispatch a spy to infiltrate their ranks? A Chinese citizen was charged on Monday with covertly gathering information about the group on behalf of the Chinese government. It's the first time the AFP has charged a person with interfering with the general population under Australia's recent foreign interference laws. The allegations of spying remain untested, and the case remains before the courts. The alleged victim group in question is called Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, a branch of Buddhism founded by a late Chinese Australian named Lu Junhong. Guan Yin Citta's centres are sprinkled across Australia, as well as the UK, the US and Southeast Asia - it claims to have more than five million adherents worldwide. Anne-Marie Brady, a Mandarin-speaking professor at the University of Canterbury who specialises in Chinese domestic and foreign policy, said China was known for 'infiltrating' overseas religious organisations. 'The CCP is a Marxist-Leninist political party that promotes atheism in Chinese society and suppresses genuine religious organisation in China, as it regards it as a potential source of political and societal opposition,' Ms Brady told 'Meanwhile it runs 'patriotic' religious organisations (Patriotic Buddhist, Patriotic Catholic, Patriotic Protestant, Patriotic Islam, Patriotic Daoist) under the control of the CCP United Front Work Department to manage sanctioned religious activity in China.' The professor said Chinese people who join a religion that isn't state-sanctioned can face persecution even when they leave the People's Republic. 'The CCP also infiltrates overseas Chinese diaspora religious organisations. 'The CCP keeps a close watch on any new religious organisations in China and within the overseas Chinese diaspora and has a longstanding practice of infiltrating and disrupting them.' In 2017, the CCP-owned newspaper The Beijing News made claims that the Australia-based group was infiltrating China and labelled it an illegal 'xie jiao,' or 'evil cult,' the same designation the CCP has given to Falun Gong and other religious movements. According to charity records, the group is a registered charity in Australia and had a total income of more than $6 million last year, much of that from donations. Photos of the Canberra temple where the spying is alleged to have taken place show it is adorned with portraits of founder Lu Junhong. Mr Junhong moved to Australia from China in 1989 and became an Aussie citizen before founding Guan Yin Citta and broadcasting his message from a Sydney radio station. He died in 2021. The group falls outside the Buddhist mainstream, with a focus on past lives and reciting sutras and mantras. It has copped criticism for claiming Mr Lu was a reincarnation of Guan Yin, a Buddhist figure associated with compassion. At the Sydney branch, dozens of people were seen worshipping on Wednesday morning, but in response to questions, they told this reporter, 'Sorry,' and closed the temple doors. The alleged spy, an Australian permanent resident, was arrested at her Canberra home last Saturday and cannot be named for legal reasons. She was remanded in custody and faces a maximum 15 years in prison if found guilty.
Perth Now
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
What Buddhist cult has to do with Chinese spy
A mysterious Buddhist group with ties to a banned religious movement in China is at the centre of Australia's first foreign interference charge against a Chinese national, with top Australian politicians now walking a diplomatic tightrope. Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday refused to reveal whether she raised the case of a Chinese woman charged with foreign interference by the Australian Federal Police with Beijing officials. The AFP alleges the woman, who is also an Australian permanent resident, was tasked by China's Public Security Bureau to covertly gather information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta, a Buddhist association. Ms Wong repeatedly ruled out saying whether she or any government minister had raised the case with Beijing officials. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests, we've made that clear,' she told the Today show. 'And I'd make this point, we've never said that dialogue eliminates differences. Clearly it doesn't.' Ms Wong also declined to make comments on the case and insisted Australia had 'strong frameworks around foreign interference'. She did not explicitly say whether she trusted China, instead saying 'dialogue and engagement' formed part of diplomatic management with the nation. 'I trust China to do what China thinks is in its interest, and I trust Australia to do what's in our interests,' Ms Wong said. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests. We've made that clear. 'The question is, how do we manage that? And dialogue and engagement is part of it. It doesn't eliminate differences, but it does enable us to put our views.' Master Jun Hong Lu the founder and spiritual leader of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door (Part of Mahayana Buddhism). Supplied Credit: Supplied Guan Yin Citta (full name Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door) is a Buddhism affiliated religion founded by Lu Junhong. Mr Junhong was born in China before moving to Australia at a young age and founding Guan Yin Citta. He died in 2021. Bitter Winter reported that Guan Yin Citta was successful in Australia and became a 'global phenomenon, with hundreds of thousands of followers'. Bitter Winter also reported that Mr Junhong was critical of the CCP, and the Chinese government declared his religion 'xie jiao' meaning an outlawed (generally new) religious movement. Bitter Winter is a daily magazine focusing on religious issues and human rights in China. Its parent company is CESNUR, an NPO based out of Italy that opposes the anti-cult movement. A DFAT information report on the People's Republic of China published in December 2024 said the translation of the term xie jiao was debated, 'with scholars pointing to its historic translation as 'heterodox religion''. 'However it has negative connotations when used by the Government of China (akin to 'evil cult') and is unlikely to be used by adherents of new religions themselves. Restrictions against xie Jiao date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). 'The China Anti-xiejiao Association publishes an unofficial list of xie jiao, which includes 23 movements. 'There is an official list of xie jiao published by the government, which can change quickly, making it difficult to determine at any time whether a particular religious movement is banned.' Attempts by NewsWire to access the current official and unofficial lists of xie jiao to verify Guan Yin Citta's presence were unsuccessful. The Marcus Clarke building in Canberra, where the Australian Chinese Buddhist Research Centre Canberra Branch and the city's Guan Yin Citta branch are located. Supplied Credit: Supplied In Canberra on Saturday, multiple search warrants were executed by Strike Force Operation Autumn Shield after receiving information from ASIO. During the searches, items including electronic devices, were seized and police said they would undergo forensic examination. The women appeared in ACT Magistrates Court on Monday to face one count of reckless foreign interference, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt, of the AFP Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations, addressed the media on Monday afternoon, saying Australia was not immune to foreign interference. 'This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community,' he said. 'We should not expect that this arrest will prevent further attempts to target our diaspora communities. 'However, it is important to note that one of the best defences for foreign interference is increased community awareness to the threat and the reporting of suspicious activity to the authorities.' ASIO director general Mike Burgess said he was proud of the significant contribution ASIO had made. 'Foreign interference of the kind alleged is an appalling assault on Australian values, freedoms and sovereignty,' he said. 'In this year's annual threat assessment, I called out these types of activities and put perpetrators on notice by stating, 'we are watching, and we have zero tolerance'. 'Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to monitor, intimidate and potentially repatriate members of our diaspora communities should never underestimate our capabilities and resolve.'
