France: NTDTV Supporters Hold a Press Conference at Eutelsat's Headquarters

On September 26th, 2008, supporters of New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) held a press conference at Eutelsat’s headquarters in France to once again urge decision makers at Eutelsat not to help the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with media censorship. They demanded immediate restoration of NTDTV and Sound of Hope (SOH) Radio Station’s broadcasting signals to mainland China.

At the press conference, NTDTV’s representative in France, Ms. Isabelle Chaigneau and Sound of Hope International Radio Station’s representative in France, Chen Man Hong, read respective declarations to urge Eutelsat not to become an accomplice to the repressive CCP regime. The international community, media, and people who support free information were called upon to defend human rights and freedom alongside NTDTV and SOH.

Supporters from across Europe urge restoration of NTDTV and SOH

The CEO of German International Human Rights Council, Mr. Man Yang, spoke on behalf of the organisation to support NTDTV: “I came here to tell Eutelsat’s senior management that we human rights organisations know very well that CCP-controlled China is the worst human rights violator. To sustain its totalitarian tyranny, the CCP brain washes Chinese people through various channels. In order for the brain washing to succeed, it does not allow truth telling media into China. NTDTV has been the only media that broke through the CCP’s censorship and brought millions of Chinese true news via satellite.”

Man continued, those who follow the truth-telling NTDTV no longer believe in the CCP’s lying propaganda and will not help the CCP persecute millions of innocent victims. Consequently NTDTV’s broadcast to China has saved a lot of lives, “Therefore, I will caution senior management at Eutelsat that turning off NTDTV’s signal over China essentially prevents NTDTV from saving people. People’s lives are priceless.” He asked the CEO of Eutelsat, Giuliano Berretta, to think it over before doing something regrettable for economic gain. Man called upon Eutelsat to take any action necessary to immediately resume NTDTV’s broadcast over China.

Man Yang handed a petition letter over to a departmental chef at Eutelsat, who promised to submit it to his superior.

According to Man Yang, German International Human Rights Council is the largest human rights organisation in Germany. With 30,000 members, it deals with human rights issues in all countries, especially China, North Korea, Cuba, Viet Nam, and Burma.

Supporters from Norway, Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Dai Ying and Mr. Li Jianghui, recounted the brutal persecution they suffered in mainland China as a result of practicing Falun Gong. Ms. Dai was illegally detained for five years and brutally tortured. She lost sight in her left eye from electric shocks and her right eye was almost blind too. She was not sent home until she was on the verge of death. Through many trials and tribulations she finally came to the free world. At the press conference today, they wanted to say that NTDTV is the only Chinese TV station that dares to report the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong. By cutting off NTDTV’s signals Chinese people can not see the truth and are deceived by the CCP’s lies. She urged Eutelsat to immediately restore the broad casting signals of the two truth-reporting media, NTDTV and SOH, and not help the CCP trample human rights.

Pan Shuzhen from Switzerland reported that as she helped Chinese tourists quit the CCP and its affiliated organisations in Switzerland many inquired when NTDTV’s programmes can resume. These people longing for true information anxiously awaited the earliest restoration of NTDTV. An elderly gentleman used to walk a dozen kilometres each day to another house to watch NTDTV programmes. Since NTDTV’s signal had been cut off, he still walked a dozen kilometres each day to find out when broadcast would resume. According to Ms. Pan, after the poisonous formula milk incident, Chinese people urgently need to watch the truth-telling NTDTV. She urged Eutelsat to immediately restore NTDTV’s broadcast to China.

Ms. Jiang Hong from Helsinki, Finland is a loyal viewer of NTDTV and SOH. Some of her relatives also follow the two media. Many mainland people she knew said the two media covered true news in China that they did not know for being in China, such as the truth of SARS, Sichuan earthquake, the Olympics, and Sanlu poisonous milk, all of which they only learned from truth-telling overseas media, such as NTDTV and SOH. When the Chinese people needed the truth most, the two media were cut off, which was extremely puzzling and a great shame. Ms. Jiang said, as overseas Chinese we should help Chinese people in mainland obtain the rights that they deserve. She urged Eutelsat not to aid the evil in depriving the Chinese public of the right to know.

The press conference attracted many passers-by. They said, "When a free TV station has been silenced, the call for freedom must be heard".

The head of a library in Paris, Ms. Seguin, supported Chinese people in obtaining press freedom, “Freedom of speech is a basic human right, a prerequisite for a democratic system where people can gather information and think freely and independently. In my opinion, this kind of protest is very important, especially for the future of China. I support it a 100%. Like China, France is a country steep in history. People in France should support Chinese people’s freedom of speech and information.” “We have been feeling a continuous sense of unease during the Beijing Olympics the China we were shown during this period was miles apart from the real China.”

Molia who lived near Eutelsat was from Australia, “I feel that to change Eutelsat’s decision, there needs to be a strong voice.” She felt this kind of protest was very good.

A Polish lady living in Germany also came to Eutelsat today. Along with friends she gathered thousands of supports by letting the German public know about NTDTV’s broadcasting signal to Asia being cut off. She said, “I came to Paris today to support NTDTV, which is a great TV station. I hope Chinese people can watch NTDTV’s programmes. We gained support from many German people and media, such as WDR West German TV station supports NTDTV, etc.”

In June 2008, under the excuse of technical failure Eutelsat headquartered in Paris cut off NTDTV’s broadcasting signals on the W5 satellite. As a result, audiences in mainland China can no longer watch NTDTV’s programmes. The two free media, NTDTV and SOH, provide information free of the CCP’s censorship, programmes that advocate freedom and human rights and truth of the CCP’s persecution which the CCP does not want to see. According to investigations of international organisations, Eutelsat bowed to the CCP for economic gains and intentionally shut down NTDTV ahead of the Olympics.