Chinese quizzed citizens held in Australia

CANBERRA - The Australian Immigration Department has admitted that a group of Chinese people held in detention were interviewed by Chinese Government officials.

The department said Chinese nationals who were available for deportation but did not have travel documents were interviewed last month by Chinese officials at Baxter immigration detention centre in South Australia and Villawood detention centre in Sydney.

The department was responding to media reports that 50 Chinese in Australian detention centres had been interrogated by Chinese officials and put in isolation for up to two-and-a-half weeks.

Some of the detainees were members of religious group Falun Gong and others were simply political dissidents, according to the media reports.

One Falun Gong member said he was asked about his life in China and Australia.

"They asked me if you are a Falun Gong practitioner (and) do you know who the head of your local security bureau is," he said in a letter smuggled out of Villawood.

"The department checked the records for each person to ensure they had no protection visa or judicial review applications," the Immigration Department said.

The department said all detainees had access to their lawyers at all times but no one asked to speak with a lawyer throughout the interview process.

- AAP