(A Clearwisdom.Net Special Commentary)

Although it cannot yet be verified exactly what has happened regarding the incident in which Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials were broadcast via satellite signals to a Chinese TV audience, Xinhua Net, a mouthpiece of dictator Jiang, has published a cover article on July 8th, slanderously contending that this action was done by Falun Gong, that it was "illegal," and that it violated "international conventions."

Both the Chinese Constitution and international conventions all stipulate that people have freedom of belief and freedom of speech, but the Jiang regime has totally deprived Falun Dafa practitioners of these rights in the past three years. If practitioners maintain their faith in Falun Gong or legally appeal to the authorities for their grievances, they are abducted to labor camps or brainwashing centers and tortured mentally and physically. To date, at least 432 innocent Falun Dafa practitioners have died because of the persecution. Many of these people died from cruel torture. According to inside sources in the Chinese government, the actual number of deaths far exceeds 432.

In the meantime, as the Jiang regime brutally tortures Falun Dafa practitioners, it criticizes Falun Dafa in the government controlled media, such as TV, Radio, Newspapers, etc., in the same violent style as was used during the Great Cultural Revolution. Any appeal actions for Falun Dafa, including handing out a few flyers, have resulted in arrests, interrogation under torture, and even murder. Jiang and his regime have consistently violated the Chinese Constitution and international conventions, and trampled on people's freedom of belief and freedom of speech. It is laughable and shameless that they now talk about the "Constitution" and "international convention." Please allow me to use an example here to illustrate my point: A villain locks all the doors of a house and then sets the house on fire. When the owner has no other choice and is forced to climb out of a window to escape, the villain says to the neighbors who are watching, "Look how savage and barbaric this person is! He climbs out the window!" It is true that people normally do not climb out windows, but how can you blame them for doing so when all the doors are locked? Obviously we should not!

Xinhua Net cited (maybe fabricated) the Vice Chairman of China Satellite User Association, Du Baichuan as saying, "Human society has entered the information age. The normal operation of international telecommunications relies on self-discipline and mutual guarding of the international society. This is a landmark of the progress of human civilization in society." I would like to ask Xinhua Net, if "human society has entered the information age," how come web-users in China are banned from visiting major Western media websites? Is this "a landmark of the process of human civilization in society?"

In addition, I would like to ask, if "the normal operation of international telecommunications relies on self discipline and mutual-guarding of the international society," then why was BBC cut off by the Chinese government just because it broadcasted news about Falun Dafa? Why are Falun Dafa's radio broadcasts to China severely interfered with? Why do hackers from Chinese State Security attack Falun Dafa websites continuously, and even pretend to be Falun Dafa practitioners while they attack the U.S. government's computer system? Is this Jiang and his regime's interpretation of "self discipline and mutual-guarding?"

Also, since Xinhua Net talked about "the landmark of the progress of human civilization in society," it must know that it is prohibited in civilized societies such as the U.S. to have any government-controlled media. On the contrary, the media should monitor the government. However in China, the dictator controls all media. The cruel dictator can use all the media to slander any peaceful spiritual group of people. Is this "the landmark of the progress of human civilization in society?"

Xinhua Net said that the broadcasting of Falun Gong materials via satellite interfered with farmers learning science, sport fans watching the games, etc., as if Xinhua Net really cares about people's interests. I would like to ask Xinhua Net, if Jiang and his regime really care about the people's well-being, why are corrupt, cruel officials in positions of authority all over the nation? Why do so many corrupt officials steal state funds and transfer them overseas, seeking help from the so-called "anti-China forces?" Why did Jiang's close friend, Wang Xuebing, Director of the Chinese Construction Bank, graft 1 billion Yuan (2 million urban workers' monthly salaries)? Why did Jiang spend 1 billion Yuan (USD$125 million) to buy a personal airplane, name his son as Vice President of the Chinese Science Academy, and consume several billion Yuan of tax payers' money to establish "610 Offices" (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) all over China and build brainwashing facilities to lock up, torture or even murder innocent folks who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance?

In a civilized society, the media are responsible for monitoring government's actions. The independence of the media and the rights of citizens to information are the most important interest of the people. In China, TV programs are supposed to make known people's sufferings and reflect people's opinions and/or grievances. Nevertheless, they have been used as a mouthpiece of the dictator, a means to shamelessly promote him, and a tool to slander innocent people viciously. Under such circumstances, whoever interposes Falun Dafa truth-clarifying materials into cable TV or satellite TV programs actually returns the right to information back to the people. Such an action safeguards not only Falun Dafa practitioners' freedom of belief and freedom of speech, but also all Chinese people's freedom of belief and freedom of speech, and at the same time, it safeguards the Chinese Constitution and International Conventions that acknowledge these rights.

In the past three years, Falun Dafa practitioners have never behaved violently under this brutal persecution carried out by the dictator with the help of all the State machinery and propaganda. Their inner peace and civilized behavior have been seen by the whole world. While maintaining their own firm beliefs and defending justice in the human world, they have practiced Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance. In the near future, when the Chinese people can all exercise the freedoms of speech and belief in a true, compassionate, tolerant environment, they will remember the huge, selfless sacrifices that Falun Dafa practitioners are making today.