MII Issues Statement on Attack of Satellite by Falun Gong

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 09, 2002

MII Issues Statement on Attack of Satellite by Falun Gong

The Radio Administration of the Ministry of Information Industry Monday issued a solemn statement on the attack of Sinosat by the Falun Gong cult stationed abroad.

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The Radio Administration of the Ministry of Information Industry Monday issued a solemn statement on the attack of Sinosat by the Falun Gong cult stationed abroad.

Manipulated and directed by Li Hongzhi, the Falun Gong cult illegally launched radio signals to jam transmission of China's Sinosat satellite between June 23 and 30, the statement said.

As a result, program transmissions of China Central Television's 9 channels and 10 provincial television stations were seriously affected. In certain areas in the countryside and outlying mountainous areas, people could not normally view news, weather and flooding forecasts, the final games of the World Cup and other programs, it said.

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 violated the basic principles of relevant international pacts and civilian communications, endangered China's national security and infringed upon the rightsand interests of the public. It disrupted the normal order of radio airwaves and posed a serious threat to the safety of radio messages.

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

Radio services were widely used in telecommunications, radio broadcasts, television, navigation, positioning, weather forecasting and many other areas of daily life. The beaming of radio waves must proceed in an orderly way, so that these waves would not interfere with each other, disrupting normal wireless message services and even such important services as aviation and maritime communications and navigation and emergency rescue operations that had great bearing on public safety and people's lives. The consequences would be dreadful to contemplate. Therefore, all countries and international organizations stipulated 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.

"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 takemeasures to crack down on such evil behavior," the statement said.

Int'l conventions on radio, television broadcasting

The United Nations General Assembly adopted in 1982 principles governing the use by states of artificial earth satellites for international direct television broadcasting.

The principles stipulate: using satellites to transmit radio and television programs must abide by international laws, including relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and international conventions and radio regulations formulated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The Organic Law of the the ITU stipulates, all radio stations, for whatever purpose and use, are not allowed to interfere with radio services of other ITU member countries, or that of authorized telecommunications operators and other officially-approved telecommunications organizations who operate according torules, when they are set up or in operation. The article also requires that all ITU member countries must take every feasible step to guarantee that operation of various electric installationsand equipment will not have a harmful effect on aforementioned radio services or communications.

First item of Article 15 of the ITU's radio regulation stipulates: all radio stations are prohibited from transmitting unnecessary, fake and disordered signals and signals that are not distinct.

Article 12 stipulates: all governing departments should take all feasible and necessary measures to guarantee that various electronic instruments and installations will bring no harm to radio telecommunications services, especially radio navigation or any other safety services.

Article 21 stipulates: governing departments, which are informed of violation by radio stations under their administration of ITU conventions or radio regulations, should investigate the involved cases to find out who is responsible and take necessary actions.

Article 109 of United Nations Law of the Sea Convention stipulates: all countries should cooperate to curb illegal broadcasting on international waters. Countries that have received such broadcasting or whose radio-communication has been disturbed by illegal broadcasting, have the right to arrest and detain, and even lodge lawsuits against people or ships involved.

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