Falun Gong Cult Devotees Sentenced for Damaging Radio, TV Facilities

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, September 21, 2002

Falun Gong Cult Devotees Sentenced for Damaging Radio, TV Facilities

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Fifteen Falun Gong cult followers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 4 to 20 years by the Intermediate People's Court of Changchun City, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, on Friday.

The Falun Gong cult followers were convicted of damaging radio and TV property, and of conspiring to use the cult to undermine Chinese law enforcement earlier this year.

According to local public security department, at about 7:00 p.m. on March 5, residents in Changchun and Songyuan cities in the province found their normal cable TV programs interrupted by a video broadcast about Falun Gong cult. Investigations showed that some Falun Gong devotees had hijacked the TV transmission lines and used self-made mini-broadcasting equipment to spread propaganda about the cult.

Four urban districts in Changchun city were affected as two trunk cable TV transmission lines were cut off. In Songyuan city, 16,000 subscribers were affected as regular TV programs suspended for 210 minutes.

The cult's illegal actions severely disrupted the public order of society, according to the relevant Chinese laws and regulations.

The Criminal Law of China stipulates that those breaching broadcasting and public telecom facilities and undermining public security can be sentenced to three to seven years of jail terms, while those who cause more severe damages can be sentenced to imprisonment for more than seven years.

According to measures for dealing with cult crime cases released by the Chinese Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate, cases of producing and publicizing cult propaganda which cause severe results can be dealt with according to Clause One under the Article 300 of the Criminal Law of China, and they would be accused of disrupting law enforcement through organizing and utilizing cults.

A relevant leading official from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said that the radio and TV stations, and their launchers, antennas, cables and other TV and broadcasting equipment and facilities constitute important basic infrastructure of the country. Any kind of breach to these facilities will be penalized according to the law.

China issued the relevant regulations on radio and TV administration in 1997 and regulations on protection of Radio and TV facilities in 2000. The rules stipulate that no organization or person be allowed to intrude and to damage the radio and TV equipment and facilities, to affect the broadcasting of programs, or to use the cable TV transmission network to broadcast programs for their own purpose. The damage of radio and TV transmission network facilities and disturbing of signals and frequencies are also defined as illegal according the rules.

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