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, manipulated by its
ringleader Li Hongzhi.
The hijack severely interfered with the normal broadcast of China's
TV programs 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 scheme of "TV signals to every
village." They were viewing 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
center 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" program.
"I
have been working here for many years and have never come across
buzz signals like this," said Sui Xiangdong, engineer on duty at
the Yungang Station. He detected that the nine CCTV channels
transmitted through the SINOSAT were hijacked by unidentified
signals of a similar frequency spectrum to the CCTV programs.
The Yungang Station adjusted the carrier power to see what had
happened, and the TV screens flashed with images of Falun Gong
propaganda material.
In
the meantime, the TV monitoring center of the State Administration
of Radio, Film and Television also recorded the illegal signals: at
19:08:40, Falun Gong propaganda material appeared on the screen;
and at 10:09:26, the word "Falun Gong" in Chinese flashed again on
the screen and frames 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, 10 provincial TV channels of Sichuan,
Guizhou, Yunnan and others under the government program of "TV
signals to every village" were also seriously affected.
"TV signal hijack for such a long time and on such a large scale is
rare anywhere in the world," said Du Baichuan, vice president of
the China Satellite Users Society.
Human society has entered the age of information, and satellite
communications are an important medium for the exchange of
information in the international community, he said.
According to international rules of telecommunications, 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 programs
and used the same frequency to interrupt those programs. 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 said.
Professor He Qizhi, director of the International Institute of
Space Law, said, "Falun Gong's deeds severely trampled on
international conventions and the basic norms of civil
telecommunications."
According to the Charter of the United Nations, relevant
international conventions and radio regulations made by the
International Telecommunications Union, deliberate damaging and
interruption of satellite broadcasting is illegal and should be
punished in accordance with the law, he said.
Overseas Falun Gong cult organizations used technical methods to
harm the public interests and bring serious consequences to
society, said Cheng Guangren, general manager of the Sino Satellite
Telecommunications Company. This act would bring heavy economic
losses to the satellite firms and users, and caused serious
disorder to the operation of satellite telecommunications
services.
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 economic
safety and would disrupt the normal operation of China's national
economy.
Sun Yulong, a farmer from Jingtai County in northwest China's Gansu
Province, said he and his fellow villagers watched CCTV channel 7
daily and benefited a great deal from the scientific farming
methods introduced by the channel.
"What Falun Kong fears is science, so it prevents us from watching
TV," said Sun. "We hate the cult really."
Shi Fusheng, a resident in Tiaoshan Town and a footfall fan, said
he had waited for four years to watch the World Cup, but couldn't
see the final match because of Falun Gong's interruption.
"Falun Gong interrupted our lives," he said, "It's disgusting."
To
the people who are suffering from flooding, the interruption of TV
programs -- especially weather forecasts -- is no less than
life-threatening, said Liu Yalong, a grass-roots local official at
Huayin City in Shaanxi Province.
Liu said weather forecasts were a matter of great consequence, but
Falun Kong had no regard for people's safety and blocked the
program, bringing great harm to the people's lives and
properties.
Chinese government departments have taken effective measures to
guard against Falun Gong's illegal signals. China's radio and TV
programs have returned to normal and all information transmission
systems remain secured.
SINOSAT was launched in 1998 and serves dozens of clients including
those of prime importance to the lives of Chinese people, including
the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Chinese
Offshore Petrol Corporation, the National Meteorological Bureau,
and China Unicom.
(Xinhua News
Agency July 8, 2002)