Eight Falun Gong members have been sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for
hijacking local television and radio signals in eastern China’s Anhui
province to promote the banned spiritual movement.
The Hefei Intermediate Court recently upheld a lower court’s decision to
give the followers sentences of between five to 13 years, the official
Xinhua News Agency said.
The Hefei court based its decision on evidence that the eight purchased
tools and equipment which helped them take over TV and radio signals at 9pm
on May 31 to publicise the movement, Xinhua said, without elaborating.
At least 3,900 households were affected during the 30-minute blackout,
during which pirate transmissions touting the benefits of the group were
played, Xinhua said.
China has said such transmissions have “disrupted the public order” and go
against international communications standards.
A man who answered the telephone today at the court in Hefei, Anhui’s
capital city, said no-one was on duty and declined comment.
Falun Gong attracted millions of followers during the 1990s with its
combination of calisthenics and philosophies drawn from Buddhism, Taoism and
the unorthodox ideas of its founder, Li Hongzhi, a former soldier and
government clerk who lives in the United States.
Followers say the practice promotes health and morality and that experienced
practitioners can gain supernatural powers such as the ability to fly.
China’s leaders banned Falun Gong in July 1999, fearing the group’s size and
organisational ability could challenge Communist Party rule.
Since then, thousands of followers have been detained. Most are freed after
a few months, though a government official said earlier this year nearly
1,300 had been sentenced to prison.
2002 AP http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/28/1040511214487.html
Posting date: 29/Dec/2002
Original article date: 28/Dec/2002
Category: Media Report
