Children among bludgeoned dead in 'targeted killing' in Oz

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Children among bludgeoned dead in 'targeted killing' in Oz

Children among bludgeoned dead in 'targeted killing' in Oz


Two children were among five people with strong ties to China who were bludgeoned to death at their home in a suburb of Sydney, Australia, in what police say was a targeted killing.

Sun Xia, a Chinese consul based in Sydney, told China Daily yesterday the five were found dead on July 18. The Chinese Consulate-General was told about the case at 10 pm on the day the bodies were discovered and has been working with investigators.

Sun said the victims included four Chinese with Australian passports and one Chinese national.

They were named as Lin Min, his 44-year-old wife, Lin Yunli – who together had run a store for six years that sold newspapers and magazines – and their sons, aged nine and 12. The fifth victim was Lin Yunli's sister, Lin Yunbin, a 40-year-old Chinese national. She was an English student at Macquarie University, near Sydney.

"We are sad to hear about the murder and have contacted the victims' relatives in China," Sun said.

According to the consulate, Lin Yunli and her sister, Lin Yunbin, originated from Guangdong. Their parents in China have been told about the tragedy.

The couple's 16-year-old daughter was traveling abroad at the time of the killings and is now back in Australia.

Media in Australia quoted New South Wales Homicide Commander Geoff Beresford as saying that the five were bludgeoned in their home in "a targeted killing".

He said the motive for the "extremely violent" murders early Saturday was unclear.

Some media outlets have speculated that the family was killed because Lin Min testified in court in May during the trial of an armed robber.

Neighbors and classmates of the two boys have described the family as "all nice-natured people".

A counselor surnamed Liu at the Chinese embassy to Australia said the embassy was aware of the incident and was stepping up efforts to protect the safety and interests of the Chinese community.

He said the embassy had been handing out Guides on Consular Protection and Assistance and added that it has recently launched a safety and security campaign to protect Chinese people in Australia, a large proportion of which are students.

According to embassy statistics, since 2007, eight Chinese students have perished in Australia.

On June 30, a female student was murdered and found in a river in Tasmania after she had been missing for several days.

On April 6, a 16-year-old Chinese student was lost after being swept away in the water off Queensland's Gold Coast.

And an 18-year-old Chinese female student, Liao Wei, fell to her death from the balcony of her Waterloo apartment on Oct 26 as she tried to flee an armed intruder.

There are 130,000 Chinese students in Australia.

(China Daily July 21, 2009)

 

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Students take to streets over safety in Australia

The parents of a young Chinese man who was murdered in Australia made a tearful plea for information yesterday as more than 1,500 protesters took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne to demand better protection for overseas students.

More than 1,500 protesters take to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday. The protests in Australia were organized by the National Union of Students to focus attention on students' safety, their demands for transport concessions and other issues.

Chen Deliang, the father of murdered 27-year-old Chen Jun, apologized to the media for his distraught state.

"It is hard for me to accept and to understand why such a good person could die in Australia in such a heinous way," Chen said, as his wife, Xue Meiying, held a framed photograph of their only child.

The protests were organized by the National Union of Students (NUS) to focus attention on several issues affecting students, including their safety and their demands for transport concessions.

Elly Howse, from the University of Sydney Student Representative Council, said: "International students are perceived in a negative way, and there have been violent attacks against them in Sydney and Melbourne."

Douglas Tsoi, executive officer of the Australian Federation of International Students (AFIS) in Melbourne, said students from the Chinese mainland account for about 40 percent of the 10,000 students who seek assistance - on issues including safety, employment and education - from AFIS each year.

International students often have part-time jobs at night and travel home alone, which makes them vulnerable, he said.

"The attacks are not racially motivated. Definitely, most attackers are opportunist," Tsoi told China Daily.

He called for more police on late-night trains and better student housing.

About 547,000 international students, including 120,000 from China, are studying in Australia. They contribute about A$15.5 billion to the country's education sector, helping to make education the nation's third-largest export industry after coal and iron ore.

NUS president David Barrow said the protests were about the students' overall environment.

Anthony Pun, president of the Chinese Community Council of Australia, said it was "in Australia's interest to look after the students, not neglect them".

Dr Michael Spence, University of Sydney vice-chancellor, said the institution was working to improve student security.

A spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said both New South Wales and Victoria had already taken steps to improve the safety of international students, adding that arrests had been made following the recent attacks.

Police do not believe there is a link between Chen Jun's death and several other violent incidents in Australia involving Chinese victims, Australian media reported.

Chen's body was found in bush at Mount Ousley, on New South Wales' south coast on Aug 14.

(China Daily September 3, 2009)