China Daily September 30, 2002
Jamming harms world trade
A Beijing-based satellite operator, whose television signals were hi-jacked by Falun Gong followers based in Taiwan, branded the disruption an "evil and criminal act,'' and urged the island to put a stop to it.
The hi-jacking was also lambasted by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) saying such acts struck at core of the development of the world's economy, which depends on unimpeded telecommunications.
The ITU was resolutely opposed to any disruption of international telecommunications, and supported China's steps to ensure the integrity of its satellite communications.
The operation and image of Sino Satellite Communications Corp (Sinosat) has been seriously affected by the latest hi-jacking episodes which occurred in June and September. The normal transmissions of SINOSAT-1 were interrupted by Falun Gong cult members, its chief engineer Min Changning said Monday.
"SINOSAT-I is in fact the first civilian satellite ever to have been maliciously interfered with since the world's first commercial telecommunications satellite was put into use in the 1960s,'' Min said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.
But the state of the art technology of the new Sinosat series will make acts of sabotage technically impossible.
SINOSAT-II, which is due to be launched at the end of 2004, will employ technology that prevents such interruptions or attacks, Min revealed.
As a commercial company, Sinosat aims to provide a first class and stable service to its customers throughout the country, he added.
Manufactured by Aerospatiale (France) with 24 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders and sent into orbit in 1998, SINOSAT-1 is a primary carrier for China's satellite TV programming. It transmits the signals of more than 50 channels and dozens of remote educational programmes.
Last month three of SINOSAT-1 transponders -- the Ku-2A, 3A and 6A -- were interrupted by illegal signals sent out by the cult.
Similarly in late June, Falun Gong followers cracked the codes to access the Sinosat system and spread cult propaganda, according to company sources.
The airwaves hi-jacking has rendered it impossible for many viewers to watch programmes from China Central Television and China Education Television and also those of some provincial television stations, according to Min.
Min's company has since received a mounting number of complaints from its customers. Some even doubted if there was anything wrong with SINOSAT-1 itself.
"The frequencies and technical parameters of all civilian satellites are public and transparent,'' said Xu Jianguo, vice-president of Sinosat. "The Falun Gong cult chose to attack SINOSAT-1, partly because the satellite transmits TV programmes which cover the whole of the country.''
In June this year when SINOSAT-1 was first attacked, Sinosat officials conducted a satellite attitude control, and pinpointed Taiwan Province as the source of interruption, he said.
In September, experts from the national radio monitoring centre used internationally accredited technologies and advanced monitoring equipment to trace the jamming signals, and found they originated in the Taipei area.
Both Min and Xu said countermeasures have been put into place and SINOSAT-1 is working well above the earth.
They said the Taiwan authorities should investigate and prosecute the criminal activities and take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening.
Robert Jones, director of ITU's Radio Communication Bureau, said interruption of legitimate broadcasting -- using illegal signals to disturb the normal operation of satellite communications -- can never be tolerated.
In his talks with Wu Jichuan, minister of Information Industry in Morocco on Saturday , Jones said the action violated the basic rules of international telecommunications conventions and wireless communications rules.
Jones talked with Wu during the ongoing 16th Plenipotentiary Conference of the ITU being held in Marrakesh, Morocco.
ITU supports the Chinese Government and its relevant departments to take necessary measures to guarantee the safety of its satellite communications, the Xinhua News Agency quoted him as saying.
John Pike, a security analyst with Washington consultants, Global Security, said the development of the world's economy hinges largely on the normal operation of telecommunications satellites.
The global telecommunications system is built on the principle that its transmission signals shall not be disrupted, he said.
By attacking SINOSAT-1, the Falun Gong members violated accepted international laws, he said in an interview with Xinhua.
If such illegal interference with a telecommunications satellite goes unpunished, some political groups or even terrorists might follow suit, which could jeopardize the global satellite communications system, he said.
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