Personnel from the Chicheng County Local Government in Hebei Province and Local Police Search Residents' Homes and Confiscate Satellite Television Dishes

(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of June 22, 2007, Qiao Long, the deputy head of Dongmao Town in Chicheng County, Hebei Province, took two people who work under him, together with an officer from the Guzifang Production Brigade and went to Mr. Li Dianxiang's home to search for and confiscate his satellite dish. Mr. Li was not at home and the door was locked. The officer was told to stay and keep watching. When Li Dianxiang and his wife came home, the officer stayed around as if nothing was happening. At around 5:00 p.m., Qiao Long came back with 20 people in 6 cars from the local Public Security Bureau and Police Station. They went straight to the satellite television dish. Li Dianxiang tried to stop them, so they grabbed him and tried to drag him outside.

Seeing that they were trying to take her husband, Mr. Li Dianxiang's wife held onto the door and said, "Why are you taking him? What law did he violate? You must tell me." One staff member from the Public Security Bureau in the courtyard said, "You're looking for trouble. Take her as well." Several of them forcibly took Li Dianxiang and his wife to the car while the people from the Public Security Bureau and the officer from the town were searching the home. One relative who lives with the couple said a few words, and the town officer and the police threatened her by saying, "If you say anything more, we will arrest you too."

This terrible scene scared Mr. Li Diangxiang's six-year-old child, and the child burst into tears. After a leader from Mr. Li's wife's workplace interceded on the family's behalf, they released the child's mother. Li Dianxiang was taken into town, and he was released at 10:00 p.m.

On the same morning, Qiao Long, deputy head of Dongmao Town, and the two people working under him also went to Zhang Xu and Wang Fangliang's home at Zhongludu Bay to confiscate their satellite dish. Wang Fangliang said, "This satellite dish is made in our country. If you forbid me to install it, I can take it down and use it for other channels later." But they threatened, "If you don't hand it in, we will report it to the 610 Office and take you away in the afternoon." Then they left. At about 4:00 p.m., about 20 people suddenly burst into the house asking for the satellite dish and searched the entire house.

Of the 20 people who rushed into Zhang Xu's home, some came in the front door and some came in the back door, as if the house was suddenly surrounded. They searched every room of the house and took away two calendars, three MP3 players and radio devices. In the end, they took Zhang Xu into town and kept him there from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and then released him.

Recently, Laishui County Television Station has been broadcasting an announcement from the "Laishui County Broadcasting and Television Bureau," requesting that everyone follow orders issued by the province and the city, to thoroughly eliminate all ground satellite receiving equipment in the entire county, to take down all installed satellite antennas within a certain time period, or they will be forcibly torn down and confiscated and a fine imposed. Those who choose not to cooperate will face criminal sanctions.

The satellite antennas are merely one kind of television antenna. Installing an antenna to watch television is a basic right of every citizen. Every citizen has the right to install and receive satellite television channels. It is a reasonable and legal requirement, and should be protected by the law. The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) State Council once drafted the "129 Order" to regulate satellite reception, but it was not passed at the National People's Congress, so did not become a part of the law. The Installment Permit that Laishui County Broadcasting and Television Bureau mentioned reflects the monopolization of the industry in the local area, and a way of collecting money by unfair means.

Stealing the satellite dishes in Hebei Province is a serious violation of citizen's basic human rights and a total ignorance of the country's laws. We urge all citizens to resist such indecent behavior.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/7/10/158560.html

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