The Voice of Tibet Foundation has launched a campaign to protest Chinese radio “jamming” of its broadcasts. It says The Peoples Republic of China has systematically “jammed” Voice of Tibet’s and other “foreign” shortwave radio services for more than 10 years now, and is calling for action and support internationally to protest and demand an immediate stop to the jamming.
VOT started broadcasting on shortwave towards India, Nepal, Tibet and China on 14 May 1996, renting airtime from FEBA Radio’s transmitter site at the Seychelles. After a few weeks VOT’s transmissions became the target of hostile jamming from Chinese stations transmitting distorted noise and music on VOT’s internationally registered frequencies. In the autumn of 1996 the PRC authorities forced FEBA Radio to cancel the contract with VOT, by threatening to “jam” all FEBA Radio’s other transmissions as well. Due to this threat FEBA stopped transmitting VOT’s programs in 1996.
From 2000 onwards the Chinese jamming towards VOT’s transmissions was further intensified, as has been the case for most other stations providing programming towards China in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tibetan, Uyghur and other minority language services.
These days each and every VOT transmission is targeted by at least two simultaneous jamming transmissions from the PRC authorities, using “state-of-the-art” facilities outside cities like Beijing, Xian, Nanjing and Linhe. But the illegal Chinese censorship does not stop there. In more than 40 Tibetan cities and townships “groundwave” jamming transmissions are targeting VOT’s internationally registered frequencies. The reach of these local jamming transmissions varies from 10 to 30 km in radius (from the antenna, which is often located at a high point overseeing the valley or city) and is very effective within this limited reach.
In Tibet the authorities define listening to “foreign” broadcasts such as VOT’s as “splittist” acts. Those caught listening or showing others how to tune to them are prosecuted or sent to “reform-through-labour” camps.
The Chinese jamming transmissions not only affects and denies citizens within the borders of China access to VOT’s transmissions, it also affects and denies access for listeners in countries like Nepal, India, Taiwan and most parts of Europe as well.
The Voice of Tibet Foundation is calling for action and support from Governments, politicians and NGO’s worldwide in addressing the issue of jamming towards representatives of the Peoples Republic of China, demanding an immediate stop to their hostile “jamming” transmissions. It is requesting that these violations of basic rights of millions of people in Tibet and China should be part of any dialogue with PRC representatives.
The Voice of Tibet Foundation says it will be happy to provide further information and documentation on the above mentioned issues. A brief video presentation of VOT can be seen on YouTube or at www.vot.org.
(Source: Voice of Tibet Foundation/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
VOT started broadcasting on shortwave towards India, Nepal, Tibet and China on 14 May 1996, renting airtime from FEBA Radio’s transmitter site at the Seychelles. After a few weeks VOT’s transmissions became the target of hostile jamming from Chinese stations transmitting distorted noise and music on VOT’s internationally registered frequencies. In the autumn of 1996 the PRC authorities forced FEBA Radio to cancel the contract with VOT, by threatening to “jam” all FEBA Radio’s other transmissions as well. Due to this threat FEBA stopped transmitting VOT’s programs in 1996.
From 2000 onwards the Chinese jamming towards VOT’s transmissions was further intensified, as has been the case for most other stations providing programming towards China in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tibetan, Uyghur and other minority language services.
These days each and every VOT transmission is targeted by at least two simultaneous jamming transmissions from the PRC authorities, using “state-of-the-art” facilities outside cities like Beijing, Xian, Nanjing and Linhe. But the illegal Chinese censorship does not stop there. In more than 40 Tibetan cities and townships “groundwave” jamming transmissions are targeting VOT’s internationally registered frequencies. The reach of these local jamming transmissions varies from 10 to 30 km in radius (from the antenna, which is often located at a high point overseeing the valley or city) and is very effective within this limited reach.
In Tibet the authorities define listening to “foreign” broadcasts such as VOT’s as “splittist” acts. Those caught listening or showing others how to tune to them are prosecuted or sent to “reform-through-labour” camps.
The Chinese jamming transmissions not only affects and denies citizens within the borders of China access to VOT’s transmissions, it also affects and denies access for listeners in countries like Nepal, India, Taiwan and most parts of Europe as well.
The Voice of Tibet Foundation is calling for action and support from Governments, politicians and NGO’s worldwide in addressing the issue of jamming towards representatives of the Peoples Republic of China, demanding an immediate stop to their hostile “jamming” transmissions. It is requesting that these violations of basic rights of millions of people in Tibet and China should be part of any dialogue with PRC representatives.
The Voice of Tibet Foundation says it will be happy to provide further information and documentation on the above mentioned issues. A brief video presentation of VOT can be seen on YouTube or at www.vot.org.
(Source: Voice of Tibet Foundation/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
