---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 1069 • Posted: Thursday October 31, 2002  

---

VOA, Oct. 30, 2002
http://www.voanews.com/

Beijing says the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement has interfered with China’s satellite television broadcasts again. China’s government said the interference came from Taiwan.

A spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the people who disrupted the broadcasts should be tracked down by officials on Taiwan and punished.

Li Weiyi said Falun Gong supporters affected the normal broadcast of programs.

There were two incidents in the past week. Officials did not make it clear if the illegal broadcasts just blocked normal television signals or attempted to put Falun Gong programming on the air.

Beijing says Falun Gong members hacked into the satellite transponders that beam Chinese state television programs to viewers. Last month, China complained about a similar incident, but officials on Taiwan dismissed the matter as “far-fetched.”

The incidents come at a sensitive time in Chinese politics as the ruling Communist Party gets ready for a Party Congress next month that will likely announce new leadership for the country. Television officials have threatened to fire workers at local stations if Falun Gong supporters manage to get programming on the air or disrupt broadcasts of the Party Congress.

The Falun Gong movement was branded an “evil cult” and banned in China in 1999 after thousands of followers staged a demonstration near the compound that houses China’s leaders.

Since then, the government has arrested thousands of the group’s followers. Some members say those arrested have been tortured and some have died while under arrest.

Falun Gong combines traditional Chinese breathing exercises with beliefs borrowed from Buddhism and Taoism. The practice is legal in Taiwan.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Falun Gong Share, Blog, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Falun Gong Read Another Article Previous entry: Mahesh Yogi to launch global currency Raam Next entry: Taipei told to stop hijacking of TV signals by Falungong RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Falun Gong Most Popular Today Decision expected this week on whether parents will face trial in faith healing death Church tries Goth Liturgy Ganas commune co-founder sues current and former members Los Angeles pastor used church credit cards for personal expenses Judge allows reckless homocide charges in faith healing death of Madeline Neumann Japan: Security agency calls for extension of surveillance of Aum cult

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.