Beijing Wednesday urged the Taiwan authorities to take immediate
action to stop the illegal TV "hijacking'' of a mainland satellite
system by Falun Gong cult followers from the island's Taipei area,
the China Daily reported Thursday.
Zhang Mingqing, a spokesman with the State Council's Taiwan Affairs
Office, accused Taipei of "harbouring and even supporting'' the
cult's activities to undermine peace and stability in cross-Straits
ties.
He
warned that Taipei's support for the Falun Gong group -- which was
banned as an "evil cult'' in July 1999 on the mainland -- has not
only hurt the feelings of compatriots across the Taiwan Straits but
also further damaged the already strained cross-Straits ties.
"The Taiwan authorities should not shirk their responsibilities and
should take immediate and effective measures to investigate and
punish the criminal activity and prevent the occurrence of similar
incidents,'' Zhang told a press conference in Beijing.
Liu Lihua, director of the Radio Bureau under the Ministry of the
Information Industry, said television signals illegally broadcast
by Falun Gong cult devotees have disrupted transmissions that use
the Sino Satellite (SINOSAT) system since September 8. The system
covers the whole of Chinese territory.
The three SINOSAT transmitters 2A, 3A and 6A have been disrupted,
according to Liu.
Transmissions of the China Education TV station and some
provincial-level TV stations were interrupted, and normal viewing
was cut off entirely for viewers in some rural and mountainous
areas.
Liu told reporters that the source of the illegal TV signals has
been pinpointed to Taipei in Taiwan.
"We've utilized a wide range of technical means to monitor and
analyze the hijacking signals and determined an accurate position
for the hijacking source,'' Liu said.
"Specialists are completely certain about the positioning result
and we have ample, irrefutable and credible evidence,'' Liu
said.
The official added that the mainland may release the related
technical data when it considers this necessary.
Zhang said that the mainland technicians traced the source to the
Taipei area when Falun Gong adherents cracked the codes to access
the SINOSAT system and spread cult propaganda for the first time in
June.
The mainland quickly gave the relevant Taiwan authorities the
information through individuals and private groups, due to the
absence of official contact between the two sides, according to
Zhang.
"They have known about it since the end of June but, up to now,
they have not taken effective measures, so these satellite attacks
are still happening continually,'' the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan reportedly pledged Wednesday to crack down on
illegal satellite broadcasts in response to Beijing's demand for
swift action to stop Falun Gong members using the island as a base
to disrupt mainland television programmes.
(Xinhua News
Agency September 26, 2002)