overseas media on Falun Gong

Television signals illegally broadcast by the Falun Gong cult cut into transmissions using the Sino Satellite (SINOSAT) from June 23 to 30, blocking the World Cup finals for viewers in some rural and remote areas in China.

The Radio Administration of the Ministry of Information Industry said Monday that the hijacking of nine China Central Television Station (CCTV) channels and 10 provincial TV channels was committed by the overseas cult organization of Falun Gong with ringleader Li Hongzhi.

The hijack severely interfered with the normal broadcast of China's TV programmes and operations of China's satellite, which violated the basic rules of civil telecommunications and international conventions, jeopardized China's national security and violated the rights and interests of the public.

The hijack mainly affected television users in rural and remote areas covered by the government philosophy of providing "TV signals to every village.'' Viewers were watching celebrations for the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the World Cup finals and other major domestic and international news when the illegal signals occurred.

At 19:00:07 on June 23, some TV screens in the satellite monitoring centre of the China Radio, Film, Television Satellite Company were suddenly blackened. Engineers on duty immediately called the Yungang Earth Station of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group Company responsible for the transmission of the signals for the government's "TV signals to every village'' programme.

"I have been working here for many years and have never come across signals like this,'' said Sui Xiangdong, engineer on duty at the Yungang Station. He detected that the nine CCTV channels transmitted through SINOSAT were hijacked by unidentified signals of a similar frequency spectrum to the CCTV programmes.

The Yungang Station adjusted the carrier power to see what had happened, and TV screens flashed with images in Falun Gong propaganda material.

The TV monitoring centre of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television also recorded the illegal signals at 19:08:40 whenFalun Gong propaganda material appeared on the screen; and at 10:09:26, when the word "Falun Gong in Chinese flashed again on the screen and images of cult activities also appeared.

"The picture flickered, but I could tell from the footage and content that they were from the Falun Gong cult,'' said engineer Zhen Yaqing, who was on duty at the time.

According to statistics, from June 23 to 30, Falun Gong organizations outside China attacked SINOSAT 2A and SINOSAT 3A translators one by one, as well as 10 provincial TV channels in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and others under the government programme of providing "TV signals to every village.''

"TV signals being hijacked for such a long time and on such a large scale are rare anywhere in the world,'' said Du Baichuan, vice-president of the China Satellite Users Society.

In the information age, satellite communications are an important medium for the exchange of information in the international community, he said.

According to international telecommunications regulations, the frequencies and technical parameters of satellite translators are public and transparent, and the normal operation of international telecommunications services rely on the self-discipline of all users and their joint efforts, he added.

"The Falun Gong cult outside China stole the frequency and technical parameters used by Chinese radio and television programmes and used the same frequency to interrupt those programmes. This illegal act is the same as having other people's keys made to break into their houses,'' said Du Baichuan.

"Falun Gong's act is an overt challenge to modern civilized society and is a flagrant subversion of social order and public morality, and should be condemned unanimously by the international community,'' he added.

The Radio Administration of the Ministry of Information Industry Monday issued a solemn statement on the attack.

This was a serious criminal act by the Falun Gong cult stationed abroad, manipulated and directed by Li Hongzhi, to disrupt normal broadcasting and reception of the country's radio and television programs, it said. It violated the basic principles of relevant international pacts and civilian communications, endangered China's national security and infringed upon the rights and interests of the public. It disrupted the normal order of radio airwaves and posed a serious threat to the safety of radio messages, the statement said.

"We strongly condemn such acts by the Falun Gong cult stationed abroad which trample on international law and public morality,'' the statement said.

The beaming of radio waves must proceed in an orderly way, so that these waves, that are widely used in telecommunications, radio and television broadcasts, navigation and weather forecasting, do not interfere with each other, disrupting normal wireless message services and even aviation and maritime communications and navigation and emergency rescue operations. The consequences would be dreadful to contemplate. Therefore, all countries and international organizations stipulate strict and explicit regulations on the beaming of radio signals, it said.

By openly and deliberately attacking Sinosat in contempt of international laws and regulations, the Falun Gong cult was unscrupulously breaking the order of wireless communications and launching a challenge against civilization, they said.

"We solemnly warn the Falun Gong cult to immediately stop its lawless disruption of normal communications. We appeal to the international community to condemn such base acts and jointly take measures to crack down on such evil behavior,'' the statement said.

Professor He Qizhi, director of the International Institute of Space Law, also said the cult had" severely trampled on international conventions and the basic norms of civil telecommunications.

SINOSAT also carries signals for weather forecasting and telecommunications services. Cheng said that if those signals were sabotaged, it would, beyond doubt, endanger lives and the country's economic safety and could disrupt the normal operation of China's national economy.

Chinese government departments have taken effective measures to guard against Falun Gong s illegal act. China's radio and TV programmes have returned to normal and all information transmission systems remain secured.(China Daily)