Taiwan to renew satellite contract with Falun Gong after protests

Jun 19, 2011, 16:48 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom Co, under strong protests from the Falun Gong, on Sunday agreed to renew a contract to allow the Falun Gong's TV network to broadcast to China.

'Chunghwa Telecom has signed a memorandum of understanding with us. We will sign the contract before the end of June,' Teresa Chu, the spokeswoman for the New Tang Dynasty (NTD) TV, told the German Press Agency dpa.

'Like the previous two-year-contract, the new contract will allow us to transmit programmes via the T-2 satellite for two years,' she added.

NTD TV has been broadcasting to Asia, including China, via ST-1, a satellite launched by Chunghwa Telecom and Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), since August 2007.

The broacast includes programmes denouncing China's persecution of Falun Gong members and calling for reform in China.

As the contract will run out in August, NTD TV asked to renew the contract, but the Chunghwa Telecom refused, citing insufficient bandwidth on the new satellite ST-2 which will be launched to replace ST-1.

The Falun Gong suspected Chunghwa Telecom refused for fear of hurting its commercial interests as the company, in which the Taiwan government is the lasrgest shareholder, is seeking to expand its business sin China. The Taiwan government hols over 30 per cent stake in Chunghwa Telecom.

For the past two months, the Falun Gong has waged an international campaign urging the Chunghwa Telecom to renew the satellite contract with NTD TV.

The campaign has won support from the US Freedom House and some US lawmakers.

Falun Gong originated from China but now has millions of followers around the world.

China accused the Falun Gong of being a sect bent on overthrowing the Chinese government, but Falun Gong insists it is a peaceful Buddhist meditation group.

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