Canadian Broadcast Standards Council Rules Against China's Propaganda Attacking Falun Gong in Canada

Link to Decision: http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decision/020816.htm

Link to Appendix: http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decision/020816appendix.htm

OTTAWA, August 21, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Centre) -- Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) released a decision on Friday, August 16 -- the first from a Canadian regulatory body -- against the airing of propaganda attacking Falun Gong on television in Canada.

The broadcast originated from the official mouthpiece of the Chinese totalitarian regime, CCTV, and was aired on Talentvision, a Canadian Chinese-language TV station, in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, on December 16, 2001, which linked an alleged murder in China to Falun Gong.

The CBSC decision stated that Talentvision had breached four articles of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics and Violence Code and the Radio and Television News Directors Code of (Journalistic) Ethics.

The segment, part of CCTV's "Chinese Satellite News", featured a "news story" on Fu Yi-bin, who it stated had killed his wife and his father. The Talentvision news announcer claimed that Fu was a Falun Gong practitioner. The accused "practitioner" then appeared in an interview, freely answering questions defaming Falun Gong.

The CBSC decision stated: "The Council has found that the news item relating to murders committed in Mainland China was unfair and improper in its method of linking the murderer to Falun Gong". Falun Gong's teachings prohibit all forms of violence and killing.

The CCTV broadcast drew 20 individual letters from concerned viewers as well as a petition with over 1200 signatures.

"Since the persecution against Falun Gong started in China, China's leader, Jiang Zemin, has used state controlled media to fabricate and distort every one of the so called 'reports' on Falun Gong for the sole purpose of attacking and defaming the practitioners, the teachings and the founder of Falun Gong," said Falun Dafa Information Centre spokesperson Cindy Gu in Toronto.

Ms. Gu continued, "The propaganda has been the primary fuel for this brutal persecution. We appeal to all media not to use Chinese state-controlled media as a source of Falun Gong related news."

A report from US-based NGO, The Jamestown Foundation, reveals that Jiang's regime has been offering "free news segments" overseas in an effort to control the content of overseas Chinese language media.

"This CBSC decision is very significant," Ms. Gu concluded. "It demonstrates that the lies and hate propaganda considered normal daily news in China is seen as violating numerous codes of journalistic ethics in Canada and will not be tolerated in Canada."

Available for interview: Cindy Gu, 416-419-9981

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Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 458 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps without trial.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTRE- Contacts: Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, or Feng Yuan 646-523-5676. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/

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