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News from the Voice of Tibet Foundation

  • The Foundation Voice of Tibet launches campaign to protest Chinese radio “jamming”
  • Based on the fact that the Peoples Republic of China has systematically “jammed” Voice of Tibet’s and other “foreign” short wave radio services for more than 13 years now, we call for action and support internationally to protest and demand an immediate stop to these violating acts. According to the PRC Constitution and numerous UN Resolutions we demand that the Chinese authorities immediately start respecting the rights of the citizens they govern as well as the rights of citizens of other countries (also affected by the Chinese “jamming”).
  • “Jamming” violations by the PRC towards “foreign” broadcasts
  • Voice of Tibet (VOT) is an independent NGO radio station, registered as a foundation in Norway in 1995. VOT’s daily services contain uncensored news and information about Tibet related issues in Tibetan and Mandarin languages. Every day a 30 minutes program in Tibetan and a 15 minutes program in Mandarin is produced and aired on short wave repeatedly from 7 pm till midnight Beijing time.
  • The definition of “jamming”:
  • Radio stations register their (short wave radio) frequencies internationally twice a year to secure the exclusive right to frequencies at registered times. The definition of “jamming” is “the intentional transmission of radio signals in order to interfere with the reception of signals from another station.”
  • Violations without borders
  • VOT started broadcasting on short wave 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 threatened 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 transmitting radio programs in Mandarin, Tibetan, Uyghur and other languages towards China and Tibet.
    • 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 80 Tibetan cities and townships “ground-wave” 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 our transmissions, it also affects and denies access for listeners in countries like Nepal, India, Taiwan and most parts of Europe as well.
  • PRC violating UN resolutions and its own Constitution
  • The following is a brief presentation outlining some of the rights (supposed to be held) by all people governed by the PRC. Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution “guarantees” its citizens: (Freedom of speech, press, assembly) Citizens of the People's Republic of China (shall) enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.
  • UNITED NATIONS
  • In its first decision on the subject, in 1946, the UN General Assembly (Resolution 59(1)) declared freedom of information to be a fundamental human right. ”Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and is the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated”. The same declaration further states: “Freedom of information implies the right to gather, transmit and publish news anywhere and everywhere without letters. As such it is an essential factor in any serious effort to promote the peace and the progress of the world.”
  • Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as adopted and declared by the UN General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
  • Specifically on the issue of “jamming” a (1950) UN General Assembly Resolution states: “Jamming of radio broadcasts is condemned as a denial of the right of all persons to be fully informed concerning news, opinions, and ideas regardless of frontiers.”
  • APPEAL:
  • Based on the internationally acknowledged right to disseminate information through radio broadcasts without disturbances, and the rights of our listeners to access uncensored news and information, the Foundation Voice of Tibet strongly protest the PRC censorship violations. We call 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.
  • The Foundation Voice of Tibet would also be most happy to provide further information and documentation on the above mentioned issues. A brief video presentation of VOT can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJd1lljj0Bc or at: www.vot.org
  • Oslo, 23 April 2009
  • Contact persons: Mr. Oystein Alme, VOT director
  • Mr. Karma Yeshi, VOT Editor-in-Chief (e-mail: editor@vot.org – tel: (+91) 1892 224913
  • The Foundation Voice of Tibet - St. Olavsgt. 24 - 0166 Oslo - Norway
  • Tel: +47 22111209 - E-mail: voti@online.no - URL: www.vot.org

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