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Broadcasting Falun Gong Truth-Clarification Videos over Chinese TV is An Act of Immense Wisdom and Bravery -- Comments from Overseas Chinese about Falun Gong Practitioners Tapping into Chinese TV By Ren Jianhua, A Minghu reporter
(Clearwisdom.net) It has been over a year and a half since Mr. Liu Chengjun and many other
Falun Gong practitioners in China broadcasted TV programs that clarified the
truth about Falun Gong over Changchun Cable TV network on March 5, 2002. On
October 29, 2003, the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of
Falun Gong" announced in its investigation report that Mr. Liu Chengjun is
now at death's door due to the atrocious torture he suffered in Jilin City
Prison. Falun Gong practitioners and supporters in Europe, Asia, North America,
Australia, and many other countries promptly held press conferences or appealed
in front of Chinese embassies and consulates, demanding the immediate release of
Mr. Liu Chengjun. That Falun Gong practitioners in China repeatedly risk their
lives broadcasting Falun Gong truth-clarification TV programs on Chinese TV
networks has caused widespread concern in overseas Chinese communities. Broadcasting Truth-Clarification Videos on TV is an Act of Immense Wisdom and
Bravery Ms. Wang from China is a department manager at a high-tech company in Silicon
Valley, California, U.S.A. Ms. Wang felt that broadcasting truth-clarifying TV
programs over TV cable networks in China was an act of immense wisdom and
bravery. She said, "Overseas Chinese are able to obtain some facts about
the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. It is very cruel
because the Chinese Communist government controls all media in China. I had no
negative views on the government's unreasonable blocking of information until I
moved overseas and had a chance to experience the difference. Falun Gong
practitioners must have overcome tremendous difficulties to broadcast Falun Gong
truth-clarification videos over the Chinese TV network. I think they are
immensely brave and intelligent to be able to break through the dictator's
barriers and give the general public an opportunity to watch truth-clarifying
programs at home." Mr. Zou is a biological researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.
He said, "In the last century, countless people have tried to speak the
truth in China and have suffered many types of persecution for their efforts.
There have been countless prisoners of conscience in China as a result. However,
few people in China are able to spread the truth successfully and persistently.
Few people in China are willing to risk their lives to spread the truth to the
general public. Falun Gong practitioners' spirits have given hope to those
wanting to speak the truth in China. Some people in China might not like what
Falun Gong practitioners have accomplished. Perhaps it is because the Falun Gong
truth-clarification TV programs have hit their Achilles' heel, or perhaps they
are used to vigilantly worrying about what they might lose [if the truth comes
out.]" Chinese TV Networks Spread Propaganda; They Do Not Have Freedom of Speech When asked if tapping into Chinese TV network has violated the rights of the
TV networks, a Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Dai said (paraphrasing) that if the
Chinese TV networks are the public's media, they should protect their audience's
right to know the truth. However, whether willingly or not, they have twisted
the facts about Falun Gong and broadcast fraudulent lies. In any country with
the slightest respect for the law, an overseas TV network would have been sued
and brought to justice. Ms. Dai added, "Before the Chinese Communist government started to
persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, there were 70 to 100 million Falun Gong
practitioners in China according to the Chinese government's statistics. Their
friends, families, colleagues, and classmates have also been directly or
indirectly persecuted, adding an additional several hundred million as victims
of the persecution against Falun Gong. During the persecution, Jiang Zemin and
the "610 Office"* coerced all levels of government organizations,
business corporations, and cultural institutions to participate in the unjust
treatment against Falun Gong practitioners, some of which includes firing Falun
Gong practitioners from their jobs. They also assisted in abducting Falun Gong
practitioners [into forced brainwashing centers] and assisted in pressuring
Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their belief in Falun Gong, and the list
goes on. [Note: Due to the pressure from the international community, the
Chinese Communist government has renamed "610 Office" as "Purge
the Evil Cult Office", and lied to the world, stating that the "610
Office" has been "disbanded."] With ignorance of the truth
and pressure from the government, many may have unwittingly done something they
will regret later, such as acting as persecutors of Falun Gong practitioners.
These people are also victims of the persecution. Since the persecution against
Falun Gong involves so many people in China, the Chinese people have the right
to know the truth. Those who know the truth also have a responsibility to reveal
this truth to others." Ms. Wang said (paraphrasing) that one of the responsibilities of western
media is to supervise their government. By contrast, radio stations, TV
networks, and newspapers in China spread propaganda for the Chinese Communist
government. Since the Chinese Communist government controls the media in China,
they have actually violated the public's freedom of speech and their right to
know the truth. A politically controlled TV network is different by function
from that of a society with freedom of speech and the press. She said,
"There is no need to tap into TV to broadcast the truth in a society with
freedom of speech, because there are normal, regular channels for people to
express different opinions. In a society without freedom of the press or speech,
to protect the public's right to know the truth is to offend the country's
dictator. In doing so, the media will disrupt its function to broadcast the
dictator's propaganda, which ensures the dictator's political power. It is not
the fault of Falun Gong practitioners that they had to tap into TV network to
broadcast the truth." The Foundation of the Law is to Protect Morals and Conscience When asked about China's planned trial against those who participated in
broadcasting Falun Gong truth-clarification programs on Chinese TV networks, Mr.
Zou said (paraphrasing), "The law has its articles and principles. Each
article has to comply with the country's Constitution to become legitimate. To
protect justice, the Constitution can be modified to serve that purpose. For
example, if an existing article of law has such a loophole that prevents justice
from being served, people would want to amend the existing law or the
Constitution." Mr. Zou said, "It is against the Chinese Constitution to block
information from the people. It is also against the Chinese Constitution to
persecute Falun Gong practitioners for their belief. If the Chinese Communist
government hadn't executed these policies that violate the Chinese Constitution,
Falun Gong practitioners would not have to tap into TV networks in order to
protect the peoples' right to know the truth. The '610 Office,' a Gestapo-like
agency in China, was established based on a policy that violates the Chinese
Constitution. Therefore, those who protect the people's right to know the truth
should not be tried based on these law-breaking policies. Such trials should not
be allowed." It is the Chinese Communist Government's Preventing Access to Information
That Violates People's Freedom to Watch TV Programs of Their Choice Ms. Xi is also from China. She said (paraphrasing), "The Chinese people
are very annoyed with reruns of negative propaganda about Falun Gong on TV. If
they start to think about it they will realize something is very wrong with the
propaganda. They simply have not seen any positive news about Falun Gong that
confirms their suspicions. It was only when I left China that I realized how
absurd the Chinese Communist government's propaganda about Falun Gong was."
She said, "Given the choice between the government propaganda TV programs
and Falun Gong truth-clarification TV programs, I would choose Falun Gong's
truth-clarification programs." Ms. Xi added (paraphrasing), "Actually
many people aren't aware of the level of the atrocities in persecuting Falun
Gong, or the level of fraud in the propaganda about Falun Gong on Chinese TV.
Otherwise a lot more people than Falun Gong practitioners would be demanding
Falun Gong truth-clarification TV programs on TV." Ms. Xi said, "Media belongs to the people. Corrupted government
officials control the media and use it to ensure their dictatorship. Of course
people want to take the media back." Ms. Dai said (paraphrasing), "I felt from my personal experiences that
the Chinese people were hungry for the truth about Falun Gong. I heard about
Falun Gong truth-clarification programs being broadcast on TV networks in
northeastern China from Chinese that I clarified the truth to over the
telephone. A friend of mine has also called a Chinese policeman at home who has
persecuted Falun Gong practitioners before. His family was very eager to know
the truth about Falun Gong." * "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute
Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party
and all other political and judiciary systems. Posting date: 11/12/2003 |