Chinese Ambassador in Italy, Sun Yuxi, Directly Pressured Eutelsat to Cut Off NTDTV Signal
Chinese Ambassador in Italy, Sun Yuxi, Directly Pressured Eutelsat to Cut Off NTDTV Signal
On July 10, 2008, Reporters Without Borders, an organization headquartered in Paris, France, released an investigative phone call recording showing that Eutelsat's turning off the New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) signal on the grounds of lacking electric power was in fact a political decision made under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
A World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) investigator with special status made an inquiry phone call to the Chinese ambassador in Italy, Sun Yuxi, with regard to this issue. The conversation has confirmed that the CCP played a major role in this incident. With regard to how they have worked on Eutelsat, Ambassador Sun's answer was:
(Play recording: “I have negotiated with its president and vice president before, because they helped Falun Gong to get a channel. They have explained to me again and again that they didn't do it intentionally. It was someone else who got Falun Gong in, such and such. Anyway, that's their explanation.”)
（Download record：MP3)
Eutelsat reported immediately to Sun Yuxi after shutting down NTDTV’s broadcasting into China:
(Play recording: “After turning off the signal, they specifically asked someone to tell my Science and Technology Attache and pass the message to me, saying that the Ambassador has mentioned several times to us about this issue, and we have handled it now. i.e. Well, from their work, they will no longer have Falun ... anything related to Falun Gong.”)
（Download record：MP3)
Ambassador Sun supported Eutelsat on this move. He said:
(Play recording: “Since they have got rid of this, we also endorsed them, and told them never touch this again. They should cooperate with us, should do well in promoting China positively. They also apologized again and again and assured us that they would never let such kind of thing happen in the future.”)
（Download record：MP3)
As for the rewards Eutelsat expects to receive out of this move, Ambassador Sun said:
(Play recording: “They wanted to develop some relationships with the Chinese Central Television (CCTV). And in addition, first of all, they wanted to do business with our Aerospace and Aeronautics Industry Group regarding the European communication satellites, meteorological satellites, and so on. They need our carrier to launch their satellites.”)
(Download record：MP3)
Headquartered in New York City, NTDTV is one of the only few Chinese-language media companies in the world that is independent of CCP control. With its uncensored broadcasts, NTDTV is the sole truth-telling TV station to people inside China. Eutelsat's stopping the NTDTV signal only one month away from the Beijing Olympics is an act of bowing to the dictatorship of the CCP regime, depriving Chinese people of their right to know, and also violating Eutelsat's own principles. It is a disgrace among the international business community.
Since the beginning of this year, in the face of serious natural and man-made calamities in China, one after another, the CCP has intensified brutal crackdowns on the Falun Gong spiritual group, unofficial religious or spiritual groups, human rights advocates, civil rights defenders, appealing populace and citizens forced to relocate without compensation.
On the other hand, the CCP has tightened media control and increased its Internet blockade so as to cover up its unprecedented ruling crisis due to the great wave of Chinese people quitting the CCP and its related organizations. At this vital historical moment, NTDTV has brought to its viewers in mainland China a wealth of objective news and true stories.
WOIPFG believes its recording of Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi in Italy and the recently published conversation with Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu in New York have both shown clearly that the CCP diplomats have been engaging in inappropriate activities. It has become their routine practices to extend the CCP's human rights violation policy to other countries and interfere with business operations there. If we just ignore it, the next victim could be any nation, company, group or individual.
WOIPFG calls for immediate action from the international community to uphold freedom of speech and news reporting. The first step we can take is to help restore NTDTV’s broadcast into mainland China.
World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Tel：1-347-448-5790；Fax：1-347-402-1444；
Mail Address：P.O. Box 84， New york, NY 10116
Website： http://www.upholdjustice.org/, http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/
