Just one more reason why Short-wave radio is so important.

French Company Accused of Pro-Beijing Censorship

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-4-19/27993.html

By Sherrie Gossett
Accuracy in Media
Apr 19, 2005

Accuracy in Media (AIM) has been at the forefront of a worldwide movement to
continue transmission of the only uncensored news in Mandarin to reach the
Chinese mainland via New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV). But the Paris-based
satellite operator, Eutelsat, which provides the transmission, could still
act on a threat to shut it down.
On April 12, NTDTV held a press conference in New York City to alert people
to the censorship threat. AIM participated in the press conference,
delivering a statement of support for the network's position and calling on
media outlets in the U.S. to offer more coverage of New Tang Dynasty's
situation. AIM also participated in an NDTV press conference in Washington,
D.C., on April 15.

New Tang Dynasty's signal was scheduled to be terminated Friday at midnight,
but is still on, and will remain on during the negotiation process currently
underway between NTDTV's lawyers and Eutelsat. The situation is temporary,
however, and the final outcome is unknown.

The Background

A year ago, New Tang Dynasty Television, a Manhattan-based pioneering
network founded in 2002 by expatriate Chinese, negotiated a contract with
Eutelsat after being assured the satellite operator would not bow to
censorship pressure from Beijing. New Tang Dynasty TV President Zhong Lee
says he met with Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta who personally guaranteed
that Eutelsat would adhere to the convention it operates under, by which it
is bound to uphold principles of freedom of access, diversity and
non-discrimination. "We went through all these scenarios with him, and we
believed him," Lee said, speaking at a packed press conference held Friday
in Washington, D.C.

Despite Berretta's guarantee, less than 30 days after Eutelsat began beaming
NTDTV's broadcasts into China and the rest of Asia, Eutelsat responded
favorably to a letter from Chinese authorities demanding that they cease
carrying the transmissions. In December of last year, Eutelsat signed what
they called a "historic partnership agreement" with state-owned China
Satellite Communication Corp. Then Eutelsat informed NTDTV that their
contract would not be renewed. Eutelsat says that only economic factors led
to its replacement of NTDTV. The company issued a statement saying: "Our
company is not subject to political or ideological pressure and...we operate
according to pure commercial and business rationale." The company also said
it had lived up to its contract obligations.

On April13th the Wall St. Journal reported that Eutelsat had used NTDTV as a
pawn from the outset in a shrewd game of opportunism. Last May, weeks after
it began broadcasting NTDTV content into China, Eutelsat received a letter
from the vice president of Beijing-owned ChinaSatCom, warning that
"broadcast of such [NTDTV] transmission is not authorized in our country and
violates the laws of [China]." According to the Journal, Eutelsat then
signaled its willingness to cut its ties with NTDTV. Soon the company signed
the deal with ChinaSatCom as well as a memorandum of understanding opening
the door for further business ties to Beijing. Industry watchers say the
NTDTV contract was part of a cynical backroom strategy whereby Eutelsat used
the network as bait to lure the Chinese government into previously elusive
contracts.

New Tang Dynasty Television runs about 50 news bureaus worldwide, half in
the United States. Its world-class programming is varied and includes news
from around the world, cultural variety shows, educational programs,
discussion and interview programs, sports and entertainment, finance and
business programs, and other topics of interest for the Chinese community.
The network is a non-profit organization that relies on donors and volunteer
contributors. Volunteers in America support the network by doing everything
from sending in $50 checks, to scrubbing the toilets at the network's
headquarters. In a short span of three years, the network now has a reach of
200 million subscribers, including 40-60 million in China. With Chinese
villages sharing a single satellite dish, the actual viewership figure in
China may be as high as 300 million.

The "9 Commentaries"

The upstart network has run afoul of Chinese authorities because of its
uncensored reporting on issues like repression in China of political
dissenters, corruption within the Chinese Communist Party, and persecution
of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. The network was the first to
broadcast into China news of the SARS epidemic. New Tang Dynasty credits its
rapid rise to a deep hunger on the part of the Chinese community for
accurate news and information on culture.

One particularly controversial series produced by New Tang has rocked China.
The documentary "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" (or "Jiu ping")
first appeared as a series of articles in its loosely affiliated newspaper
Epoch Times. ("Daijiyuan" is the title of the Chinese language version.)
When all 30,000 copies were snapped up within two hours in Hong Kong, Epoch
Times printed more. Over the next few days they ran out of paper, and after
solving some logistical problems, wound up printing 910,000 copies, all of
which were snapped up by customers waiting for copies. Tourists from China
in Hong Kong then wound up carrying the commentaries back to China. The
scathing commentaries offered an uncensored history of the Communist Party,
its human-rights violations, its nature, methods and ideology. Details of
the torture of political and religious prisoners as well as photos were
included.

This January, New Tang Dynasty began broadcasting its television version of
the "9 Commentaries" into China every 24 hours resulting in many rescinding
their membership in the CCP. A Chinese-language website run by Epoch Times,
http://tuidang.epochtimes.com/, has been receiving and posting statements of
individuals within and outside of China who have rescinded their membership
in the CCP or in its affiliated organizations after having read the "9
Commentaries." (Some versions in English are available here
http://www.theepochtimes.com/211,95,,1.html) The statements are received by
phone or by email. Epoch Times claims that over 900,000 have now rescinded
their membership. Some have posted notices about the rescinded memberships
in town squares in China, leading even more to want to read the
commentaries. Observers say the impact has been nothing short of historic.
The dissemination of the commentaries is now being called the "jiu ping
phenomena." Now New Tang is receiving emails from supporters on mainland
China distressed over the news of Eutelsat's scheduled pulling of the
information plug.

A "Deal with the devil"

The Washington D.C law firm Cole, Raywid, and Braverman has conducted an
investigation into Eutelsat, ChinaSatCom, and the People's Republic of
China, and found "Each has made its deal with the devil." Attorney Burt
Braverman said that Eutelsat sought "much greater business with China, even
though it had to forsake the European conventions it operates under and its
own charter." Braverman said Eutelsat had agreed to support China's
repressive policies toward New Tang Dynasty "directly and indirectly" and
"ignored" the contract and its renewal. The attorney cited "harassment,
threats and offers of bribery?all documented."

Eutelsat is not a victim, Braverman announced at a Washington D.C. press
conference, but a "willing participant to play the People's Republic of
China off other government customers, and use rivalry to generate additional
business." Braverman said today negotiations were still underway with
Eutelsat, but that if those negotiations failed, the law firm is prepared to
file suit in the District of Columbia against the named defendants,
including the U.S. subsidiary of Eutelsat, Eutelsat, Inc. The lawsuit will
claim the defendants acted in concert to interfere with the business
operations of NTDTV, to end the broadcasts into Asia, to remove them from
the W5 satellite, and to "Purposefully and permanently muzzle their free
expression."

Braverman noted that the American legal system allows for extensive
discovery and would lead to the obtaining of numerous internal corporate
documents and electronic communications: "the essence of the conspiracy."
The attorney promised to "vigorously pursue" the matter, if negotiations
failed.

NTDTV President Zhong Lee said that given previous reprisals by the Chinese
government against other satellite carriers, should Eutelsat drop the signal
NTDTV would have "little chance" of finding another willing carrier.

An International Scandal

The controversy has now become an international dispute over human rights
and freedom of the press. Eutelsat's actions were condemned by Reporters
Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists, two major
journalism organizations in Europe who called the move a gross violation of
the company's inter-governmental charter requiring Eutelsat to provide
universal service, equal access, and respect for pluralism. The
International Federation of Journalists issued a statement saying Beijing
had warned that business opportunities linked to broadcasting rights to the
2008 Olympics would be at risk if Eutelsat renews its contract with NTDTV.
The federation stated, "The danger to freedom of speech everywhere is in
plain view now.For Europe, the case will show whether an outside power
writes the broadcasting rules for the Continent."

Reporters Without Borders participated in a European press conference held
in Brussels, Belgium March 15. Also present were members of the European
parliament. Statements made at the press conference termed Eutelsat's
termination of NTDTV's signal a violation of European and international
conventions. "Eutelsat has come under strong political and commercial
pressures from the Government of China to terminate this broadcast," said
NTDTV. In addition, 64 members of the European parliament signed a letter of
support for NTDTV's stance in the matter. Lucie Morillon, Washington
representative for the Europe-based press freedom watchdog Reporters Without
Borders, told AIM the issue had received wide media play in Europe.

Extorting the U.S. Government

The Wall St. Journal reported on Pentagon emails it had obtained referencing
the issue. The emails indicated the Pentagon, which gets more than 40% of
its leased satellite bandwidth from Eutelsat and is one of its biggest
customers, quietly pressured Eutelsat last year to keep NTDTV on the air.
Now, however, Eutelsat is telling the U.S. government it can keep NTDTV on
the air only if Washington buys more capacity on its satellites. As it is,
the Pentagon is one of Eutelsat's biggest customers, and the French company
has benefited handsomely from increased U.S. demand for bandwidth. The
Defense Department's need for commercial communication satellite services
has increased exponentially with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
November of 2004 the Washington Post reported that carriers affiliated with
the Satellite Industry Association of Alexandria, Va. were lobbying the
Pentagon to buy directly from them, instead of through resellers. One of
those carriers was Eutelsat. In 2002, it was reported that Eutelsat had
already scored a $100 million contract with the U.S. government. In fact
some media outlets have voiced concern because some satellite operators have
not been able to guarantee them access in Iraq and Afghanistan due to the
large military demand.

Caught in the middle of this international struggle over China's repression
of free speech is the U.S. taxpayer. A letter of support for keeping NTDTV
on the air to China was penned by Congressmen Christopher H. Smith and Tom
Lantos, and was signed by 93 U.S. lawmakers. It says in part: "We see no
reason the U.S. taxpayer should fund satellite companies that won't stand up
for freedom of the press, and instead discriminate in favor of repressive
regimes and against free media."

However, a Pentagon email obtained by the Wall Street Journal suggests the
U.S. taxpayer may wind up continuing to fund Eutelsat even after it carries
out Beijing's wishes to silence the pioneering NTDTV. The e-mail from Linton
Wells, deputy assistant secretary of defense for command, control,
communications and intelligence, conceded that Washington has "leverage"
with Eutelsat, but added that "we also need to be careful that we don't
shoot ourselves in the foot by incurring termination liabilities or impeding
the ability of war fighters to get the bandwidth they need." Experts say it
will take years for the military to launch enough satellites to fulfill its
own bandwidth needs, which have grown ten-fold since September 11, 2001.

AIM Takes Lead

Accuracy in Media has pointed out that the controversy over Eutelsat's
actions appears to be part of a pattern of harassment and intimidation by
the Chinese state. Some of these incidents were cited publicly by AIM at the
New York City press conference:

NTDTV had a contract with the Netherlands-based satellite operator New Skies
Satellites. After only 3 days of broadcasting New Tang Dynasty programs, the
satellite operator encrypted the signal, preventing Chinese satellite-dish
owners from being able to see the channel. This action followed reported
threats of financial reprisals which were made by Chinese authorities to
satellite representatives in Beijing.

In February of 2003 the Atlanta-based U.S. satellite operator ADTH was
reported to have broken an agreement to carry NTDTV, out of fear of losing
contracts with other Chinese channels.

The Toronto Sun reported that a New Tang Dynasty employee suffered burns to
his hands after opening an envelope at the station that had white powder
inside. Police are investigating to identify the powder and its origin.

Over the past three weeks locks at the TV station's headquarters have been
vandalized.

Chinese news agency Zhongguo Xinwen published a statement in Australia by a
spokesman of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney who accused NTDTV of
spreading "cult doctrine" and an "anti-China message."

The Chinese Embassy in Toronto denied visas to two NTD staffers, who were
accompanying Prime Minister Paul Martin on his trip to Asia.

In February 2003, a New Tang Dynasty reporter was booted from a Chinese
consulate-sponsored New Year's gala at the University of Pennsylvania. "I
was kicked out of a public event organized by the City of Philadelphia,"
Lily Sun told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm not in China. The Liberty Bell
is here. America was founded here." The newspaper reported that the city's
communications director, Barbara Grant, urged her to file a complaint with
the city's Human Relations Commission.

Two New Tang reporters said they were barred in August from covering a SARS
benefit concert in Massachusetts attended by a Chinese diplomat.

The station said Chinese officials blocked another reporter from covering
Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the White House in December.

A New Tang cameraman was blocked from two Philadelphia events attended by
the Chinese consul general in New York, Liu Biwei. The station's crew was
almost evicted from Mayor Street's inaugural ball by the head of the
pro-China Global Chinese Alliance for the Unification of China, Temple
University math professor John Chen.

Chen told the Philadelphia Inquirer "These people aren't really press. We
want the Chinese image to be projected to American society in the proper
way...[New Tang] has a political agenda to make the government look bad."

These are just some of the examples of harassment and intimidation reported
on by the Epoch Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Toronto Sun. In
addition, the Associated Press produced an article on the Eutelsat
controversy. The article ran in the Boston Globe, Forbes magazine and
Business Week.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington made phone calls and sent emails to the
National Press Club (NPC) asking them to cancel a December 21, 2004 press
conference Epoch Times was planning on the "9 Commentaries." On the morning
of December 21, Sun Weide, the Press Counselor and Spokesman of the Chinese
Embassy, again requested the cancellation of the "Jiu Ping" Forum. The next
day, John Donnelly, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NPC, responded
to Sun with a letter, stating that the core principle of the NPC is to
practice and defend freedom of speech. On December 29th, the NPC issued a
press release expressing again its firm stance on safeguarding freedom of
speech and freedom of the press.

Frank Xie, another Philadelphia reporter for New Tang, told the newspaper
"This is a pattern," adding that China's policy of controlling the media
"has kind of been exported overseas." Dr. Frank Tian Xie is also
Vice-President of The Epoch Times, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the
LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, and President of the Greater
Philadelphia Asian Culture Center. Danielle Zhu, one of the reporters whose
visa to China was denied, has told the Toronto Sun she believes supporters
of the Chinese government are trying to intimidate the station because of
critical coverage of the Communist regime.

Epoch Times calls the reaction of the government evidence of its
"nervousness" over the free dissemination of information, adding that "The
demise of the Chinese Communist Party is only a matter of time."


Accuracy in Media may be found on the web at http://www.aim.org/index. Upon
visiting the website one may sign-up for a free A.I.M. newsletter.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-4-19/27993.html