The Justice Department announced on Sept. 21 that Baimadajie Angwang, an officer of the New York Police Department, has been arrested for “acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as well as committing wire fraud, making false statements and obstructing an official proceeding.”
“The defendant is charged with violating his sworn oath as a New York City police officer to protect and serve the citizens of New York by instead reporting to PRC government officials about the activities of Chinese citizens in the New York area and developing intelligence sources within the Tibetan community in the United States,” stated Acting United States Attorney Seth D. DuCharme in the Justice Department statement.
Baimadajie, who is reported to be Tibetan American, later appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court, according to media reports.
If confirmed by the courts, the alleged spying operation established at the direction of the Chinese government against the Tibetan American community in New York shows that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in malign operations to suppress dissent, not only in Tibet, where Tibetans are oppressed and denied all freedoms, but any place in the world where Tibetans are free to express themselves, starting with the United States of America. By strictly limiting access to Tibet for the Tibetan American community, the Chinese government tries to creates an atmosphere of suspicion among the members of the community and Tries to exploit it to its advantage.
The Justice Department charges against Baimadajie can be read here.