(Clearwisdom.net)

LONDON (Falun Gong Information Center-UK) -- We are reminded on World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd 2004, of the importance of freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to the freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

China: The World's Leading Jailer of Journalists

From the 139 countries observed for press freedom in 2002, China ranked second to last. The Independent Committee to Protect Journalists named Jiang Zemin in the Top Ten Worst Enemies of the Press for five years in a row for exercising the Communist Party's obsessive control over information. This has been partly enforced via harsh prison sentences that have now made China the world's leading jailer of journalists.

Media and internet control as well as the suppression of freedom of belief and speech are all used to control 1.6 billion Chinese citizens. This can be most clearly seen by the multi-faceted attempts made to control the minds, bodies and spirits of 100 million Chinese people following the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Falun Gong has attracted media attention outside of China since July 1999 when the Communist Party leader at the time, Jiang Zemin, banned it for being too popular. In order to prevent people in the West finding out the real facts behind the ban, and to mislead people inside China into supporting his persecution campaign, the media were fed lies and defamatory stories about Falun Gong. This strategy has led to confusion and misunderstanding about Falun Gong. To further control reporting on subjects such as Falun Gong, the Chinese Government has also been buying up Chinese language media, in countries such as Canada.

Journalists Mistreated for Reporting on Falun Gong

Reporters sans Frontières [a French based organization which monitors the freedom of journalists] protested against the treatment of foreign reporters who attempted to cover the demonstration by 35 Western Falun Gong practitioners on Tiananmen Square in November 2001, against the Chinese authorities' brutal treatment of their fellow practitioners in China. Camera equipment, films, press cards and permits were confiscated. Foreign journalists have also been physically mistreated and intimidated for trying to report on Falun Gong protests in China.

Breaking Through the Stranglehold on Free Speech and Information Flow

In direct contrast to the Chinese government's widespread, obsessive attempts to control the media and spread lies and propaganda, the emergence of the Epoch Times newspaper, the New Tang Dynasty TV station and the Sound of Hope radio demonstrates the commitment shown by journalists to focus on truthful reporting.

Crucial Role of Media in Spreading Misinformation and Inciting Hatred

This truthful reporting is more important than ever in the face of the slanderous articles that keep appearing in the media about Falun Gong, such as those published in Les Presses Chinoises in November 2001. A lawsuit was issued against this Canadian based publication for defamation and incitement of hatred against Falun Gong practitioners.
The source of much misinformation about Falun Gong comes from Mainland China's Xinhua news agency, which is the mouthpiece of the Communist authorities. Most of the inaccurate reporting of Falun Gong by the Western media to date also comes from the Xinhua press releases, which are circulated on Chinese Embassy websites and sent to media agencies worldwide.

Many Western media use these press releases without realising that they are being used as part of a propaganda smear campaign. In reality, journalists who use this slanderous material are helping to propagate the sort of genocide seen in Rwanda, which was fuelled by the influence of 'hate media'.

Wake Up Call to All Media Worldwide

The deafening silence of the world's media in reporting the genocide against millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China signals to the Chinese authorities that their crimes will not be scrutinized. This allows them a free reign to continue torturing and murdering their own people. On World Press Freedom Day, we sincerely hope that the media can overcome the prejudices, lies and smokescreens perpetuated by the Chinese authorities and wake up to the full extent of the horror and suffering taking place right now.