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BEIJING JAMS TIBETAN RADIO SERVICE

The Voice of Tibet (VOT), an independent Oslo-based radio station whose daily programmes provide listeners in Tibet with a "lifeline to the free world," is again being targeted by the Chinese government, reports the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE). According to the VOT Foundation in Oslo, Communist Party officials have intensified efforts to jam the station's short wave signal since late 1999, with high-ranking authorities reportedly stating that the VOT "should be silenced once and for all."

NFFE says authorities attempt to jam the VOT by airing distorted high frequency sounds over the station's signal, rendering it inaudible. "China [is] using all means to block the VOT's signal and prevent citizens from accessing unbiased information." According to the VOT, the Chinese government's attempts to jam its signal only confirm the fact that it does not tolerate unbiased information about Tibet.

The VOT's limited financial resources allow it to broadcast on only two simultaneous frequencies at a time. Since 1999, it has been broadcasting programs in both Tibetan and Mandarin, though its programming focuses mostly on Tibetan-related issues. It includes amongst its programs regular speeches by the exiled leader of Tibet, his Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In Human Rights Watch's (HRW) World 2001 Report, it notes that in January 2000, authorities renewed jamming activities against the radio station. At the same time, suppression of religious activity and so-called "splittist" movements continued. Between April and July, the government stepped up controls over monasteries and religious rituals. Meanwhile, officials mounted campaigns aimed at slandering the Dalai Lama, on the one hand, and convincing the world, on the other, that China was respecting human rights in Tibet and improving its economy. For more information, see
www.nffe.no and
www.hrw.org/wr2k1/asia/china.html.