Falun Gong Radio station resumes broadcasting

The banned Indonesian radio station in Sumatra accused of supporting Falun Gong activities resumed broadcasting on Tuesday afternoon after Indonesian communication authorities shut down the station and seized its broadcasting equipment last week. Radio Erabaru said it is defying the government and saw the measure as illegal because a dispute is still proceeding at the Supreme Court level. “We are using a backup transmitter,” General Manager Rahmat Pudiyanto said yesterday.

Regional Broadcasting Commission Office in Batam, Riau Islands Province said the move by Erabaru was a shock to them and was a serious violation. Parlin Sihombing head of the regional commission said ”We are going to coordinate with the Regional Frequency Monitoring Agency.”
(Source: TEMPO Interactive/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Related story: China playing by it's own rules
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/china-playing-by-its-own-rules

Indonesia closes Falun Gong station

Indonesia has closed Radio Erabaru which has ties with the spiritual movement Falun Gong. The government in Jakarta has refused to renew the station’s broadcasting licence since 2007 and today seized its equipment.

Radio Erabaru had been broadcasting in Bahasa Indonesia and in Chinese from the island of Batam since 2005. The radio station says the government took action against it because Falun Gong has been banned in China.

Jakarta admits that China had lodged a complaint about Radio Erabaru, but denies this is the reason the radio station was closed. The Indonesian government says the closure is the result of a shortage of radio frequencies.
(Source: RNW News/R Netherlands mdia Network Weblog)