(Clearwisdom.net) A Paris court held a hearing regarding the New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) lawsuit against Eutelsat on November 5, 2009. Eutelsat unilaterally stopped NTDTV broadcasts into Asia in the weeks leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The broadcasts still have not resumed. Many people are concerned about this and hope that NTDTV will see justice served.
The trustee of International Writer Association in Sweden, Mr. Chen Maiping, said: "The Eutelsat issue is related to other things, which all together show the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is trying to control the international media. The CCP is challenging the freedom of media overseas. We are watching if Western society can keep and protect its values."
Mr. Chen said: "Through the EutelSat issue, we see that the CCP is shameless. I hope that the NTDTV will win."
Mr. Zhang Yu, a member of Independent Writer Association in Sweden, said: "Tt is a shame that the TV signals were blocked by a European company. Obviously the CCP exerted pressure on Eutelsat. European countries should pay attention to this and help to restore the broadcasts."
Some people in Mainland China also expressed their support to NTDTV.
Ms. Gao Yu, a reporter in Beijing said: "20 years ago, people pushed down the Berlin Wall and communism crashed in Europe. Today, the CCP still tries to interfere with the freedom of media. It is a shame. It is proper that NTDTV filed a lawsuit against Eutelsat. The lawsuit is a test for the world. We are watching if the European society will give in to the tyrannical power or will protect freedom."
Ms. Gao said: "The Western world should give up the illusion of the CCP." She said: "NTDTV is an independent media, which helps people to learn the truth of China. The CCP is afraid of it, so it tries its best to suppress NTDTV. The CCP is particularly afraid that the persecution of Falun Gong will be exposed."
Human rights lawyer Zheng Enchong in Shanghai praised NTDTV. "It is welcomed by many Chinese people. NTDTV reveals many facts and exposes many problems in China. It reports on many hot topics that Chinese people are concerned about. No other media can do it."
Mr. Zheng called upon Eutelsat not to give in to the CCP, and not to give up its own values.
Mr. Xiao Jiansheng, an editor of Hunan Daily, expressed that freedom of speech is a universal value. He hopes that NTDTV will win the lawsuit and restore broadcasts to China so that Chinese people can watch and learn the truth of many things.
