CRTC Ignores Own Conclusion, Accepts Hate Inciting Channel

Look here for related articles on this topic.

Media Advisory

Decision Leaves Canadians Wide Open to Abuse

Toronto - Canadians Against Propaganda (CAP) is bewildered and stunned by CRTC’s decision to accept a Chinese state run channel that it has deemed abusive and hate inciting on multiple occasions, putting Canadians at clear and obvious risk. CAP will pursue all avenues to reverse this highly irresponsible decision. The long awaited decision was oddly released on Friday, December 22, 2006.

Taped evidence of programming on China’s state run CCTV4 was deemed by CRTC on multiple occasions to air programming which exposed “the targeted group or individual to hatred or contempt” and even “threaten the physical security” of targeted groups and individuals..

CCTV4 is owned and operated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), well known to be one of the most brutal human rights abusers in the world. CCTV4 is one of the CCP’s main tools of propaganda against targeted groups, fuelling ongoing persecutions against Chinese people, including democracy activists, Tibetans, Falun Gong, Christian house churches, Muslim Uighurs and others. The scope and brutality of the CCP’s human rights atrocities are universally accepted by governments and human rights organizations. Why would CRTC ignore its own conclusions of multiple hate incitement and accept this state run channel?

Without giving clear rationale, CRTC dismissed the evidence, stating that since the multiple offences occurred in 1999 and 2001, the evidence was not “typical of the content currently aired on CCTV4”. CRTC has not monitored or researched the current content in any way. On what do they base this dangerous assumption?

CAP spokesperson Elaine Xie responded, “How can they assume that this is not typical? This is a multiple offender. To randomly assume that offenses were not committed by this channel during the time period when no evidence was found goes against reason, common sense and CRTC’s own findings.”

CAP’s search for evidence was surprisingly successful considering that the required taped evidence would have to come from programming spontaneously taped from television. Due to this difficulty, CAP couriered a written request to China International Television Corporation (CITVC), which represents CCTV4 along with eight other channels proposed to CRTC, collectively known as the Great Wall Package. CAP requested copies of six specific programs, including the times and dates of two news reports from November, 2005, offering to pay all shipping costs. CITVC (also owned by the CCP) did not respond to the request.

Xie commented, “The evidence proves that CCTV4 incited hatred repeatedly several years ago, yet CITVC ignored requests for recent programming while labeling our evidence ‘stale dated’. CRTC then disregards multiple violations, and accepts the hate inciting channel (CCTV4) on faith. CCTV4 has not acknowledged any wrongdoing or promised to adhere to the rules whatsoever. What is CRTC basing this blind faith on?”

The policies of persecution by the CCP have not changed since 2001 and thus the obligation by state run channels such as CCTV4 to encourage and support these persecutions likewise remains. This clearly puts every Canadian who is a member of these targeted groups at risk.

The CRTC decision stated, “Removal of a service is a remedy that the Commission will be prepared to exercise if it finds that abusive comment has been aired on the service while it is distributed in Canada.”

Xie commented, “This comment is meaningless considering these channels would air with no monitoring whatsoever. CRTC is looking away from these harmful violations and protecting the interests of Rogers executives while ignoring the safety of Canadians. Who will be responsible when more hate incitement airs?”

Issued by Canadians against Propaganda, contact: Elaine Xie: 416-827-3908

Letter: Falun Gong just the start

A special thank you to Taipei Times, Molokai Times and Billings Outpost, MT for publishing my letter.

Taipei Times: Thursday, Jan 04, 2007, Page 8 - I strongly disagree with Charles Liu's views about Falun Gong muddling facts (Letters, Dec. 29, page 8).

Why is Beijing's abysmal track record in the spotlight lately? It is not surprising, especially with the news of Beijing officials profiting from live organ harvesting from Falun Gong members. Investigative reports maintain that it has been going on since 2000.

The world response to what Kilgour-Matas have condemned has been encouraging, with a recent hearing in a US Congressional sub-committee and Amnesty International's New Zealand branch calling for further investigation.

The Taiwanese, Finnish and Australian governments, as well as the European Parliament, have backed the allegations. But so far China hasn't granted permission to any international observers to probe the allegations. On the contrary Beijing arrested and silenced the human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, who extended an invitation to the Kilgour-Matas research team.

For such an abhorrent practice to be allowed to take place in the 21st century is unacceptable. By all means, China should be held accountable for such crimes against humanity. In the run-up to the 2008 Olympics it would be in China's best interest to live up to the promises they made to secure the games -- that is, to improve their rights record.

With the recent shooting of Tibetans at the border, intensified crackdown on human rights lawyers along with tightened Internet and press censorship, not to mention widespread corruption, China's rights record is in decline. It is clear that this long list of violations, including organ harvesting, has put Beijing apologists on the spot leaving them with very little to say.

Marie Beaulieu

Peter MacKay's letter on Organ Harvesting

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay states his concerns about organ harvesting targeting Falun Gong practitioners in China in a letter he wrote to a practitioner.

The Canadian government is off to a good start. Let's just hope they'll keep on pushing!

Excerpt:

• "We continue our active efforts to seek verification and corroboration with respect to allegations of organ harvesting from prisoners in China."
  

• Canadian government officials have emphasized to the Chinese authorities their concern that all organ donations in China must take place with the free and informed consent of the donor, consistent with international norms.

• "I can assure you that the Government of Canada will continue to express clearly its concerns regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms to the Chinese authorities." (more)

Year of Pig offers performance feast

Spectacular slated for two shows here

Chinese New Year Spectacular
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m
$30 - $80
604-628-0303 (Chinese)
604-628-1620 (English)

Lloyd Dykk, Vancouver Sun: According to the Chinese calendar it is the Year of the Pig coming up, which signifies good fortune, kindness, honesty and tolerance. And you may want to feast on the entertainment of the second annual Chinese New Year Spectacular when it comes to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for two shows Wednesday.

It sounds like the sort of extravaganza you'd normally see just a few blocks away at the Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver: A celebration of what's known as China's golden age, the Tang Dynasty, a remarkable time in China's 5,000-year history.

The three-century-long Tang, with present-day Xi'an as its then most populous city in the world, reached a high point of cosmopolitan culture and prosperity, largely the result of military exploits. From this show, purportedly based on the Tang, you can expect epic tales, dragons, drummers and beautiful dances from about 100 young performers in all, most of them overseas Chinese who live in New York. But it might be a good idea to try to see the Tang through a 21st-century filter.

In its four years of existence the show seems to have been a success, growing from appearances in five cities at its beginning to this year's 28 cities across four continents, a run that will total 67 performances. (In Canada it goes to Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto after the Vancouver appearance.)

It's put together in New York in a production by New Tang Dynasty Television, based in New York. It was ranked No. 7 in Billboard magazine's top 10 shows in 2006, based on shows that ran last year at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Vancouver's Patrick Dong, 43, is the local promoter and coordinator of the show for its Vancouver appearance, as he was last year. He worked for NTDTV in East Asia from 2002 and moved to Canada in 2004. He is the managing director of NTDTV in Vancouver. This is an independent, nonprofit Chinese language TV broadcaster established by overseas Chinese which began broadcasting via satellite in North America in 2002, extending its 24/7 programming to cover Asia, Europe, and Australia in 2003.

Asked to describe the show, Dong says: "It tries to represent what is the real essence of 5,000-year Chinese culture, which is also our goal.

"Actually, Vancouver's show will feature productions from many dynasties, like Mulan, the famous girl warrior, of the Ming Dynasty, and the loyal soul Yu Fei of the Song Dynasty. We pride ourselves in authentic costuming styles, music and dance movements to reflect the culture as true to history as possible."

It's proven popular, he says. "There was only one show last year in Vancouver as opposed to the two this year. Ninety per cent of the feedback based on our on-the-spot survey was excellent. More than 2,500 saw the show and 60% of them were non-Chinese."

He describes the grace, dignity and beauty of the show as "stunningly captivating."

ldykk@png.canwest.com


Related Article: 24 Hours: Celebrating Ancient China

Keeping up with the spy threat

With the Harper government around, Canada is no longer a safe haven for spies...

Globe and Mail Excerpt: State-sponsored Chinese enterprises have long taken inspiration from proprietary Canadian technology. Decades ago, China was accused of stealing designs for a prototype Canadian nuclear reactor. Last spring, Mr. MacKay raised concerns about China's "Redberry" -- a version of the wildly popular BlackBerry pager developed by Research in Motion, based in Waterloo, Ont. Whether such activity amounts to possible copyright infringement or espionage is a matter of debate, but either way, billions are at stake.

Like other authoritarian countries, China keep tabs on expatriates. The activities of Falun Gong, the dissident faith movement, get special attention. Chinese diplomats in Western countries are often accused of illegally working to disrupt Falun Gong.

Real-life allegations of such spying have also been cited in the case of a Chinese diplomat in Ottawa whose visa was not renewed this fall. Newspaper reports suggested Canada declared him persona non grata because of embassy-sponsored attempts to disrupt Falun Gong.

China denies this. But there's no doubt that Canada is probing Beijing's methods. "CSIS did ask us about what was happening," said Lucy Zhou, a Falun Gong spokeswoman in Ottawa.

Immigrants in other communities have made similar complaints. (more)

Falun Gong Calls CRTC Approval of Chinese TV Channels Negligent

The story was picked up by CBC here, the Toronto Star here,the Epoch Times here, and the Penticton Herald here.

Media Advisory

CRTC Cites Repeated Hate Incitement then Accepts Offending Channel

Will Request that Government Overturn Decision to Protect Canadians

OTTAWA - The Falun Dafa Association of Canada will pursue all legal and governmental avenues to reverse the highly irresponsible and negligent decision by CRTC to approve nine Chinese state controlled TV channels including CCTV4 to the digital lists (Public Notice CRTC 2006-166). State owned CCTV4 was judged to repeatedly air “clearly abusive” programming, exposing “the targeted group or individual to hatred or contempt,” which “could incite violence and threaten the physical security of Falun Gong practitioners.” The long delayed decision was unexpectedly released Friday, Dec. 22.

In its own words the CRTC states, “The Commission considers that these comments are clearly abusive, in that they are expressions of extreme ill will against Falun Gong and its founder, Li Hongzhi. The derision, hostility and abuse encouraged by such comments could expose the targeted group or individual to hatred or contempt and, in the case of the first comment, the statement could incite violence and threaten the physical security of Falun Gong practitioners.”

The Falun Dafa Association had submitted evidence detailing how CCTV-4 is a Chinese communist regime owned and operated media channel that has been used as part of their government policy since 1999 to “eliminate Falun Gong” in what Amnesty International has called a “massive propaganda campaign” to incite hatred against and dehumanize Falun Gong men, women and children. This hate incitement has led to the documented widespread torture and killing of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

CRTC states that they cannot conclude that repeated abusive programming from 1999 and 2001 is “typical” of CCTV4 content. However, the Falun Dafa Association submitted evidence that the Chinese regime’s mandate to eradicate Falun Gong remains in place today and people are continually tortured and killed due to the same government policy. This makes it extremely likely that CCTV-4 as a state run channel will continue to perpetuate hatred against Falun Gong in China which would then be rebroadcast in Canada.

Xun Li, president of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada said, “Finding taped evidence of past television programs is very difficult. For CRTC to assume that no hate programming aired after 2001 because evidence was not submitted for that time period is negligent and contradicts the numerous cases of abuse by CCTV4 already cited by CRTC. It also ignores CCTV4’s obligation to support the Communist regime’s mandate to persecute Falun Gong. This is extremely irresponsible and clearly puts Canadians at risk.”

The CRTC also stated that, “Removal of [CCTV-4] is a remedy that the Commission will be prepared to exercise if it finds that abusive comment has been aired on the service while it is distributed in Canada.”

However the question is raised as to how the CRTC will know if further abusive programming airs. CRTC did not place any onus on Rogers, the carrier and sponsor, to monitor CCTV4. Rogers implored CRTC to not impose this security measure stating that it would cost over $625,000 per year to monitor one channel. Consequently, CRTC has left this monitoring onus to potential victims.

If allowing this abusive channel to air in Canada, CRTC should require Rogers to monitor CCTV4 for further programming that could incite hatred against Canadians just as they did with Al Jazeera.

The CRTC is the first government organization to investigate and conclude that China’s state run television has, on multiple occasions, incited hatred and encouraged the Chinese public to commit harm against practitioners of Falun Gong. They also agree that Falun Gong falls under the category of a group that is eligible and deserving of protection.

CRTC has failed in its most basic responsibility to protect Canadians.

Peace for 2007

As we usher in the Year of the Pig on February 18, the Year of the Dog has made 'Human Rights' the king of kings and it's not over yet. But for Westerners the year 2006 has concluded already. Let’s take a look at some of the hot spots during 2006.

• The most shocking news of the year had to be live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China. First there was Wang Wenyi who drew international attention to the plight of Falun Gong when she shouted to Hu Jintao from the White House South lawn shortly after Epoch Times broke the news. Her message was loud and clear--Hu Jintao stop killing Falun Gong practitioners and stop organ harvesting.

• Along the same vein, David Kilgour and David Matas wrote a report to expose the genocide of organ harvesting that received a first Congress hearing a few months later. Their extensive travels around the world has helped raise awareness and gain support from parliamentary officials with an end to stop this practice. They have done remarkable work in a short few months.

• Members of the Australian and Asian branches of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) have made a commitment to go to China to investigate further the allegations of organ harvesting but to this date, visas have not been granted by the Chinese Consulates. It is noteworthy Kilgour and Matas have been refused entry to China.

• Meanwhile China felt the squeeze and finally admitted to harvesting organs from executed prisoners and promised to set up new rules to gloss over the whole thing. Of course, the fact that the Falun Gong are murdered for their organs wasn’t mentioned.

• Nevertheless, the international community is getting well versed about the true nature of live organ harvesting targeting Falun Gong through mainstream media reporting on the Kilgour-Matas findings.

• The year 2006 was also a tough year for human rights lawyers in China with the news of Gao Zhisheng being harassed, arrested, released and now basically under house arrest. He had extended an invitation to the Kilgour-Matas investigating team to come to China to probe into abuse of Falun Gong. He still remains a freedom icon to the Christians and Falun Gong who support him.

• On the bright side, over 17 million people have quit the CCP according to an Epoch Times website. This is just a warm-up exercise before millions of people step forward en masse to quit the evil CCP. I strongly believe that the tidal wave is yet to come and that is my prediction and my wish for 2007.

The CCP kept up with its brutal vendetta.

• Some repressive regimes such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Russia, Argentina, Vancouver (Hmm), Toronto, San Francisco, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Korea and Greece, etc. have interfered with Falun Gong activities and freedom of speech. Some of those regimes call themselves democracies!

• As Vancouver practitioners are preparing to see the Mayor in Court to defend our rights to speak out for justice at the Chinese Consulate protest site, a practitioner was physically assaulted by three Chinese men in front of the Consulate during his night shift.
  

• A few weeks later, hundreds of thousands of anti-Falun Gong newspapers simultaneously hit Vancouver including other major cities in Canada, namely Montreal and Toronto.

• In Hong Kong, Albert Ho Chun-yan was attacked by three men armed with baseball bats after he attended a protest having just joined the Coalition to investigate organ harvesting (CIPFG)

• The International Epoch Times--a paper highly critical of China-- had their office ransacked in Hong Kong and staff was assaulted in the US. Suspicious mail was received in Sydney (AU) and Toronto.
  

• China jammed Sound of Hope radio shortwaves including Radio Free Asia and Voice of America by constructing the 'Great Firewall of Airwaves'. I encourage you to sign a petition here to stop the blockade.
  

• NTDTV saw their preparation for their Chinese New Year Spectacular sabotaged in Paris (break and entry/theft) and Seoul where the venue cancelled just days before the show. The same problem is occurring in Korea again as we speak and unfortunately NTDTV had to cancel the event due to pressure from the CCP.

• Just lately we learned that CRTC caved in and approved the 9 communist TV channels to broadcast in Canada in spite of all the evidence submitted showing that they instigate hatred among the community and spew the party line.
  

• One unforgettable event during 2006 was the San Francisco parade. The phenomenal debacle turned into a war against Falun Gong with Rose Pak and the gang insisting to bar Falun Gong from the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade and succeeding. Hat off to City Hall officials, Chris Daly and Fiona, who struggled every step of the way to protect the rights of Falun Gong.

Some uplifting news:

• Canada had its own Chinese defector, Han Guangsheng, who spoke out about the horrors of the persecution to the media.
  

• The Harper government warned China about Chinese spies running around freely and stealing secrets in Canada with one spy booted out. The other big news of the year is that this new government has taught China a few lessons already in human rights and democracy in a few short months.
  

• Canadian Falun Gong practitioners won an important court motion in Ontario which cleared the way for judgement on the merits of their historic $20 million civil lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, the former head of China and four other officials for torture.

• China’s State Council Chen Zhili, a strong persecutor of Falun Gong, was served with legal papers in a restaurant in Richmond, BC.

• The Icelandish government compensated Falun Gong and destroyed a blacklist of Falun Gong practitioners who were denied entry into the country in 2002 when Jiang Zemin was visiting the capital. Why it took four years to resolve this issue is beyond comprehension.
  

Here is something to look forward to for the year of the Pig. The Pig believes in the best qualities of mankind and certainly doesn't consider itself to be superior. Pigs also care a great deal about friends and family and work hard to keep everyone in their life happy. Helping others is a true pleasure for the Pig, who feels best when everyone else is smiling. They are compassionate souls who simply want to keep the peace.

Let the people of China liberate themselves peacefully from the tyranny of the most villainous dictatorship in history.

Happy New Year!

Ottawa weighs in on Falun Gong dispute

The battle is about to begin ... and now Ottawa is setting the tone asking for the best of both worlds.

"Recent claims have surfaced regarding organ harvesting from prisoners who have not consented to donation, including Falun Gong members," it states.

"We have taken note of both the Chinese and U.S. governments' public statements on this issue . . . . More generally, we continue to have serious concerns over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners."

VANCOUVER SUN: OTAWA -- The federal government has intervened in the dispute between the Chinese government officials and Falun Gong protesters to remind the City of Vancouver that Canada has an international treaty obligation to protect the "dignity" of foreign embassies, The Vancouver Sun has learned.

But Canadian officials, who cede jurisdiction on the matter to the city, have also taken steps to inform Chinese officials that Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms takes precedence over bilateral treaty obligations, according to newly obtained internal documents.

The ongoing dispute -- the city has been trying without success since June to force Falun Gong demonstrators to dismantle the billboards and small structure attached to the consulate's fence -- is one of numerous irritants being raised at high-level Canada-China meetings, according to briefing notes.

"Canada has no position on the Falun Gong group or its teachings," states the beginning of an undated briefing note, stamped "SECRET CEP" -- (CEP stands for Canadian eyes only), that was prepared in advance of a planned bilateral meeting in late July in Malaysia between Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

A portion of the statement, relating to the Falun Gong meditation movement that China considers a subversive cult, is whited out under provisions of the Access to Information Act that allows officials to censor information "reasonably expected to be injurious" to the conduct of international affairs.

The rest of the statement makes clear Canada has taken some steps -- though not clearly enough to answer China's complaints.

"We are aware of our Vienna Convention obligations, and have communicated this information to the municipal authorities in Vancouver who have jurisdiction over the matter," declares the position statement, which MacKay is advised to make only if the matter is raised by China.

"So long as they remain peaceful and comply with local laws, such protests are constitutionally protected in Canada."

Ambra Dickie, a spokeswoman for the department of foreign affairs and international trade (DFAIT), said China has been complaining about the protest signs for three years.

"DFAIT's fundamental role is to serve as the formal channel of communications between foreign governments and all levels of government in Canada," she said in a prepared statement.

"As we would normally do in such cases, DFAIT advised the City of Vancouver of the Chinese embassy's concerns and of Canada's Vienna Convention obligations."

She read a section of the convention that calls on countries to "protect the consular premises against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the consular post or impairment of its dignity."

Dickie added, however, that the decision to order the signs taken down was made by the city, "and as such any further questions should be directed towards them."

The issue is also raised in a briefing note prepared in advance of a June 12, 2006 briefing note in Beijing between Ted Lipman, then director-general of DFAIT's East Asia Division, and Liu Jieyi, a senior official in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Under the heading "Vancouver protest signs," the briefing note advises Lipman to say that Canada "fully respects the right to freedom of speech in Canada, as well as the City of Vancouver's bylaws and our international obligations under the Vienna Convention."

The remaining paragraphs on the issue are whited out, again because disclosure could be "injurious" to Canada's foreign interests.

Both briefing documents raise a variety of human rights and consular issues that the Harper government is pushing to the forefront.

The Conservatives have criticized previous Liberal governments for allegedly putting trade ahead of human rights, though Liberals counter that rights issues were routinely raised behind closed doors.

The briefing note in advance of the June meeting in Beijing raises one of the most provocative allegations against Beijing's authoritarian rule.

"Recent claims have surfaced regarding organ harvesting from prisoners who have not consented to donation, including Falun Gong members," it states.

"We have taken note of both the Chinese and U.S. governments' public statements on this issue . . . . More generally, we continue to have serious concerns over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners."

poneil1@hotmail.com

CRTC approves the 9 CCP Channels

It is regretful but not surprising that CRTC approved the 9 CCP channels after all the evidence that was put forth objecting to their broadcasting on Canadian airwaves. However, CRTC recognizes that there is questionable evidence that shadowed the application somewhat, but it didn't make any difference after all because it happened between 1999 and 2001...Hmmm. One will have to dig deeper to find more recent evidence. Phoenix News channel was also approved.

CRTC Excerpt: The Commission finds that one of these programming services, CCTV-4, aired abusive comment in news stories dating back to 1999 and 2001. The Commission defines abusive comment as any abusive comment or abusive pictorial representation that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability. In light of the age of the stories and the absence of any concrete evidence as to similar comment since, the Commission is unable to conclude, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the stories in question are typical of content currently aired on CCTV-4.

The Commission notes CITVC's statements that the Chinese Great Wall TV Package (which includes CCTV-4) "obeys the laws of every country in which its services are broadcast and Canada will be no exception" and "will comply with the provisions of the relevant codes that govern Canadian broadcasters." The Commission will expect CCTV-4 to ensure that abusive comment is not aired when the service is distributed in Canada, failing which, the service could be removed from the digital lists. (more)

Singapore's Rule of BAD Law

On the surface Singapore looks like it is a vibrant democracy where people are granted the right to chose and vote. But the sad reality is that it seems to be a country with complete dictatorship and autocracy. The way they treat Falun Gong practitioners is a typical example.

FGHRWG Newsletter: Judge Refuses Evidence of the Chinese Communist Regime's Persecution of Falun Gong and Throws Two Peaceful Protestors in Jail

What is Singapore's judicial process coming to? The same level as that of Mainland China, it would appear. In this trial of citizen demonstrators for harassment, political concerns for China's reputation were held higher than Singapore's citizens' right to democratic expression. (more)

Related Article:

Singapore Decision Aids and Abets Murderous Regime

Amnesty International: Gao Zhisheng's verdict

What might look like an act of compassion to some is merely an illusion in the lead to the 2008 Olympics. Putting a muzzle on Gao will not stop the freedom movement from moving forward, on the contrary this will likely backfire on the CCP. Here is Amnesty International's reaction to Gao Zhisheng verdict. Sign petition letter here.

Gao's friend, Hu Jia, commented: "This is the result of the endeavors of the international community and activists. This is our first victory," Hu said. "Gao Zhisheng is innocent and the case itself is an infringement of his human rights." (more)

AI Press release, 12/22/2006: Reacting to today’s verdict by Beijing Municipal No.1 Court which has given rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng a three-year suspended prison sentence for 'inciting subversion', Amnesty International said

"While we note the unusual decision to give rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng a suspended sentence, we remain deeply concerned that he has been convicted of 'inciting subversion' - a broadly defined crime in the Chinese criminal law that is regularly used to imprison activists in violation of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression.

“That a Beijing court has stopped short of sending Gao Zhisheng to jail does not detract from the fact that this was a grossly unfair trial and the latest example in a disturbing pattern of Chinese lawyers and activists being subjected to conviction after unfair trials by the Chinese authorities. We urge the authorities to now release Gao Zhisheng immediately and unconditionally and to stop the persecution of both him and his family.” said Catherine Baber, Deputy Director of the Asia programme at Amnesty International

Notes

Gao Zhisheng has been sentenced to 3 years in prison, suspended for five years. This means that he will not be imprisoned unless he commits criminal offences during the five-year period. If imprisoned Amnesty International would consider Gao Zhisheng a prisoner of conscience. It is expected that he will be released soon but is likely to remain under tight supervision by the authorities.

While suspended sentences are common in death penalty cases (with death sentences usually commuted to life imprisonment), they are much less common in ordinary criminal cases. It is appears that the authorities wished to show leniency in his case - possibly due to potential embarrassment and opposition both domestically and internationally to putting such a high profile lawyer behind bars.

For a background briefing on this case click here.

Vancouver: Falun Gong bid for full trial rejected

Stay tuned, there is more to this story than a mere bylaw infraction!

Granville St. protest camp will stay up into new year

The Province (15 December, 2006) - The protesters yesterday failed to persuade a judge to hold a full trial over issues surrounding the City of Vancouver's petition to remove their camp.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein gave the protesters 30 more days to file affidavits in response to the petition filed in August.

The protesters had argued that there were complex Charter of Rights issues to be determined and that a trial was needed.

The city argued that such a move was premature and the judge agreed, noting that the case lends itself better to a petition hearing, a shorter process with lawyers' submissions.

Joe Arvay, a lawyer for the protesters, said a decision on an appeal will be made in the new year.

In June, the protesters were given a deadline to remove a sidewalk shed and wall-mounted signs that have been fixed in place for five years in front of the Chinese consulate on Granville Street.

The city says the protest camp, staffed by at least one protester at all times, violates a bylaw requiring structures to have city approval.

Falun Gong has been described as a combination of exercise, meditation and spiritual belief.

Adherents say there's been a well-documented genocide against their group by the Chinese government.

kfraser@png.canwest.com

CIPFG to petition China to allow probe into organ harvesting

Like Australia, the Asian Branch of the CIPFG is giving Beijing a golden opportunity to welcome the free world to investigate the allegations of live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. If Beijing has nothing to hide, there shouldn’t be any problem for the Coalition to go ahead with their plan.

Full Report:

(Kyodo) A group looking into the alleged harvesting by Chinese authorities of organs of executed members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement will deliver a petition letter to a Chinese official in Hong Kong seeking permission to launch an investigation in China, a veteran democrat said Tuesday.

"We will submit a petition letter to Central Government's Liaison Office Director Gao Siren on Dec. 20, demanding China to allow our team to investigate, without authorities' surveillance, allegations of for-profit harvesting of organs from Falun Gong practitioners," former Democratic Party legislator Szeto Wah said.

The Asia branch of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China was established earlier this month with Szeto as the vice chairman, following the setting up of an Australia branch.

The letter also demands a meeting with mainland human rights advocates including detained lawyer Gao Zicheng, who has been held by Chinese police since August, Szeto said.

Falun Gong, established in 1992 by its leader Li Hongzhi, who is reportedly residing in the United States instead of China to avoid persecution, teaches meditation exercises with mixed elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

Along with a few other spiritual movements, it was branded an "evil cult" in 1999 after more than 10,000 practitioners staged a silent protest surrounding Zhongnanhai, the heart of the Chinese government in Beijing.

A study released in July by a Canadian lawyer and a former Canadian government, based mainly on testimony provided by Falun Gong practitioners in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia, concluded that the Chinese government and affiliated hospitals, detention centers and courts have since 1999 put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong practitioners.

It claimed their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually simultaneously seized for sale at high prices, sometimes to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary donations of such organs in their home countries.

The Chinese government has dismissed the allegations, saying they are based on "rumors and false allegations" spread by Falun Gong members "to smear China's image."

The concern group's Asia branch now has 116 members comprised of legislators, professionals and academics from six countries and regions -- Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Macao and Hong Kong.

Szeto is also chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which has openly criticized China over the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and demanded vindication of the incident.

"We will give Beijing one month's time to respond. If by then it still refuses to allow our investigation team to start probing, we will consider other forms of peaceful activities," Szeto said.

One of the authors of the investigation report, David Kilgour, a former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific affairs, has suggested calling for a boycott to the 2008 Olympic Games that Beijing will host, if it fails to stop organ harvesting.

Movie: Shake the World

This is an excellent film on the persecution of Falun Gong. Highly inspiring. Look here to see Shake the World!

The Eagle via U-WIRE - Jinwei Wang, a graduate student in American University's School of Communication, wants to bring Eastern culture to Western film techniques. Wang, who plans to graduate in 2008, is on her way with a new narrative film, "Shake the World." Wang wrote, produced, directed and edited the film, which although fictional tells the true story of the Falun Gong persecution currently going on in China.

"Film is a Western technique and I wanted to examine how I can [use it with] the Chinese culture," Wang said.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual ritual that consists of meditation and exercise. Falun Gong teaches the three principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

"It benefits individual health," Wang said. "It's very good ... for the whole society and I think that's what the government wants: Peaceful people. I cannot figure out why the persecution began," she said.

While many have heard about the persecution in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Wang's film follows a woman as she suffers from the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners starting in 1999 in Shijazhuang City of Hebei Providence, China. She is not willing to give up her freedom to practice, even though the Chinese government arrests and tortures Falun Gong practitioners.

Wang's film is tactfully and artfully done. She produced it with the sensitivity of the subject in mind. Wang displays a level of severity on the issue in a considerate and less graphic manner. It forces one to connect emotionally with the practitioners and the protagonist throughout the film.

"My family moved to Japan before the persecution [of] Falun Gong," Wang said. "I didn't know much about the student movement. They said that no one died. When we moved to Japan we watched the video of the satellite video of the tank that killed the student and I was so shocked and so surprised as to how some government could make such a big lie."

Wang wants to focus her studies on film and shot "Shake the World" in only 17 days. She filmed most of it in Taiwan with voluntary Falun Gong practitioners as the actors, cast and crew.

Wang said film is a powerful medium.

"It tells you a story and doesn't force any information," she said. "It is a very important responsibility to make life more beautiful and make society more peaceful and help the people get their human rights back, the rights they were born with."

Wang herself is a Falun Gong practitioner and even while living in Japan was very close to the persecution.

"Before the persecution, half of my classmates in China were Falun Gong practitioners. After school we would practice together. My friends called me when they took their exam to get into universities. They said there are several questions asking, 'What do you think about Falun Gong?' So if you don't answer the way the government would want you to then you will be in trouble," Wang said.

Two of the actresses in Wang's film also have a personal connection to the Falun Gong persecution. The little girl, who plays a 7-year-old daughter, is actually 5 years old and lost her father to the Falun Gong persecution.

"They went to many countries to talk about their story," Wang said. "Her mother said she does not want any more family to face the same persecution."

This issue has immediate importance and Wang feels that in making this film she can draw attention to it and force international pressure on the Chinese government.

"We all think it's a very important issue and [the cast] are all Falun Gong practitioners, so they really want to help the people in China," she said.

"If the international people see what is happening now they think it will be very powerful and the international pressure is very important on the Chinese government for those people living in the culture now," Wang said.

Wang has shown her narrative documentary at many universities, including one in Taiwan. She hopes that the Chinese people can eventually be an audience for "Shake the World," she said.

As for the future, Wang is taking filmmaking one step at a time.

"I really want to be a film director and work on Eastern-feeling films to develop the traditional feeling into the Western technique," she said.

"Hopefully I can begin an Eastern film, and also hopefully I can be a director that can use ... film to help human rights issues," she said.

China to Allow More Freedom to Journalists from Abroad

According to Edward Cody of the Washington Post, the promised freedom of the press during the 2008 Olympics is far from a fait accompli. It remains to be seen whether the CCP will live up to their word. Do they ever?

Washington Post Excerpt: A manual published by the Public Security Ministry and handed out to Beijing police, who are studying English in preparation for the Olympics, contained a dialogue making clear how ministry officials believe reporting should be approached. It described a hypothetical situation in which a policeman comes upon a foreign reporter inquiring about Falun Gong:

"But Falun Gong has nothing to do with the games," the policeman says.

"What does that matter?" the reporter replies.

"It's beyond the permit."

"What permit?"

"You're a sports reporter. You should only cover the games."

"But I'm interested in Falun Gong."

"It's beyond the limit of your coverage and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China, you should obey China law and do nothing against your status."

"Oh, I see. May I go now?"

"No. Come with us."

A Beijing policeman said the manual was distributed to him and his colleagues, along with a tape recording of the various dialogues, as practice material to supplement three-month-long formal English courses that have been underway since 2002.

Asked how that fit in with the new rules, Liu said that in the coming month there will be briefings on the changes for Chinese government departments, including the Public Security Ministry and provincial, municipal and county propaganda officials who routinely seek to impede coverage of news in their areas. Beginning Jan. 1, those officials will no longer have the right to detain foreign reporters seeking to interview people, he said, and the Foreign Ministry can be called on to intercede if they try.