Man on foreign interference charges has CCP ties

The 65-year-old Melbourne man belongs to several groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

Alan Tudge, left, and Oceania Federation President Sunny Duong.

A Melbourne man charged with preparing an act of foreign interference goes by the name of Sunny Duong and belongs to several groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

Di Sanh Duong, 65, is the president of Oceania Federation of Chinese Associations and is on the board of the Museum of Chinese Australian History in Melbourne.

Mr Duong, who has Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, is the first person to be charged with the offence since the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill was passed in 2018.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said his alleged conduct had struck at “the heart of our democracy”.

Sources said the Oceania federation had ties to the Chinese consulate and China’s United Front Work Department, while several prominent United Front figures are associated with the museum.

The Oceania federation is a globally-linked group for Chinese people from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

In 2016, the Australian arm of the group participated in a 2016 march organised by the CCP in Melbourne to oppose the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea tribunal decision on South China Sea.

Mr Duong recently attended an event with Multicultural ­Affairs Minister Alan Tudge, following a $37,000 donation by the Oceania federation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for COVID-related research.

I was so pleased to join members from the Oceania Federation of Chinese Organisations from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos at the @TheRMH today, where they presented a $37,000 donation toward COVID-19. This is a fantastic example of Aussies supporting Aussies! pic.twitter.com/YE4yuKMwOC

— Alan Tudge (@AlanTudgeMP) June 2, 2020

 “They are a terrific community organisation,” Mr Tudge said, adding: “I would give you a big hug but I’m not allowed to in these pandemic days, Sunny.”

There is no suggestion Mr Tudge has had any involvement with Mr Duong beyond that event.

One of Mr Duong’s co-directors on the museum’s board was Mike Yang, who worked as a media adviser to Premier Daniel Andrews from 2011-2013 when he was Victorian opposition leader.

It is understood Mr Yang ­became a voluntary director in late 2018, and is no longer a ­member or involved with museum.

The Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, led by ASIO and the AFP, carried out a year-long investigation into the man’s relationship with a foreign intelligence agency.

Search warrants were carried out across Melbourne on October 16, and Mr Duong faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said the man’s alleged behaviour strikes at “the heart of our democracy”.. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

He was granted bail and will ­reappear before court in March for a committal mention.

Mr McCartney said the taskforce had taken preventative ­action to disrupt Mr Duong at an early stage.

“Foreign interference is contrary to Australia’s national interest, it goes to the heart of our democracy,” he said.

“It is corrupting and deceptive, and goes beyond routine diplomatic influence practised by governments.’’

The maximum penalty for the offence is 10 years imprisonment.

In a statement the AFP said the matter remained an ongoing investigation.

Additional reporting: Remy Varga