【大紀元5月30日訊】
2005年5月16日
親愛的總統先生﹕
去年五月當第一個不經政府審查過濾的衛星電視在中國及東亞地區播出時﹐許多美國民眾給予了熱情的歡迎。這個美國本地的電視頻道先驅–新唐人電視臺﹐是唯一真正的獨立中文電視。新唐人播出包括新聞﹐訊息以及文化交流等節目﹐促進中國的民主和自由的發展﹐使上千萬的中國衛星收視觀眾收益。
自2004年5 月﹐新唐人與歐洲衛星公司合作﹐通過歐衛的W5衛星為中國衛星收視觀眾轉播了不經政府審查過濾的中文電視節目﹐這為亞洲打開了一道自由衛星收視的窗口。在這之後不到一個月的時間﹐中國政府直接責令歐衛要求立即停止新唐人對亞洲的播出。同年12月﹐歐衛與中國政府簽署了一份“歷史性合作條約”。於是新唐人在同月末﹐接到了歐衛單方決定的將在2005年4 月停止對亞洲地區播放的解約通知。
新唐人電視臺是在9/11之後﹐由美國本地華人出於提供自由新聞的理念而建立的。正如近日「華爾街日報」歐洲版在2005年3 月17日的一篇文章所說﹐“如今新聞自由的危險隨處可見﹐”新唐人電視為觀眾提供了另一個選擇以及真實的聲音﹐與那些通常宣揚反對美國及西方社會的中文媒體形成了鮮明的對比﹐並為中國與西方社會的文化了解建立了溝通的橋樑。新唐人電視所含概的新聞還包括如美國總統選舉和歐盟辯論。也正是新唐人電視“在北京承認的三周前真實報道了SARS的傳染疫情”(華爾街日報2005年3月17日) 。新唐人電視大膽地報道了北京當局不希望世界知道的消息﹐如對基督教﹐天主教﹐蒙古以及法輪功的迫害﹐和對工會和民主人士的鎮壓。
如果新唐人在亞洲的轉播被中斷﹐受影響的不僅僅是一份合約﹐更是中國的民主運動。正如國際新聞工作者聯盟所說﹐這是一個“對原則的犧牲放棄”﹐“這大大的減少了自由的心聲卻滿足了北京的不寬容”。越來越多的中國人希望從新唐人得到真實的訊息﹐特別在新唐人播出大紀元出版的“九評”並徹底解析了中共的歷史以及其反人性的罪惡本性後﹐這種希望得到真實的呼聲更為強烈。在經過了中共幾十年的強行洗腦後﹐中國人通過新唐人的幫助﹐認清了中共的真正面目﹐在不到3 個月的時間﹐有超過65萬人退出了中共及其附屬組織﹐而且人數還在不斷增加。
在這個重要的時刻﹐中共政權卻想通過歐衛之手來關閉這自由衛星之窗﹐轉變民主的進步。
如今﹐美國政府是歐衛的最大的客戶﹐我們有義務提醒歐衛尊重自我﹐保證對對所有人的不歧視。
自由和正義是我們的立國之本﹐也是美國對外政策的支柱。我們深知如果民主不能得到推進﹐專制將會得逞。
我懇請您﹐作為民主世界的領袖﹐在這一戰略時刻﹐給予中國民主運動以鼓勵﹐給予渴望真實和自由資訊的中國人民以希望﹐支持新唐人來維護民主﹑保持並擴展亞洲的自由衛星窗口﹐以抵制中國共產黨在西方畸變和壓制自由商務。向中共和所有其它的鎮壓者簡單明瞭地表明﹐民主和人權是不可改變的﹐而且將永遠是無法被收買的民主世界不可動搖的原則。
感謝您對這一緊急事件的關注
誠摯的﹐
戴維-湯山德
紐約州眾議員
Letter to President Bush from New York Assemblyman David Townsend, Chairman Minority Conference / Chairman Task Force Urban Crime:
May 16, 2005
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Many Americans warmly welcomed the launch of the first uncensored satellite TV broadcasting to China and East Asia last May. The pioneering U.S. based channel, New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV), is the only truly independent Chinese language TV. DTDTV broadcasts reach tens of million of private satellite dishes across China and include news, information, and cultural content that helps promote democracy and freedom.
In May 2004, NTDTV collaborated with Eutelsat, and opened a historic Asia free satellite window on Eutelsat satellite W5, and transmitted uncensored Chinese TV programs to millions of satellite TV receivers across China. Barely one month after transmission began, China sent Eutelsat an injunction demanding immediate termination of NTDTV’s Asia transmission. In December 2004, Eutelsat signed a “historic partnership agreement” with China, who demanded termination of NTDTV broadcasts and later that month, NTDTV received a non-renewal notice from Eutelsat. On April 15th, 2005, NTDTV’s Asia transmission will be slammed shut.
Shortly after September 11th, NTDTV was created by Chinese Americans dedicated to offering a free forum of dialogue. In an era where, according to the Wall Street Journal Europe on March 17, 2005, “the danger to freedom of speech everywhere is in plain view now,” NTDTV provides an alternative and truthful voice in stark contrast to the anti-American, anti-Western message commonly conveyed in the Chinese media. Honoring its commitment to fostering understandings between Chinese and Western societies, NTDTV also covers stories like U.S. Presidential debates and European Union debates. NTDTV is the same station that “broke the news of the spreading SARS virus in China three weeks before Beijing owned up the the problem” (WSJ, March 17, 2005). NTDTV boldly reports the news that Beijing doesn’t want the world to hear such as, the persecution of Christians, Catholics Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners, and the suppression of labor and democracy movements.
If NTDTV’s Asia transmission is terminated, what is at stake is more than just a contract but also China’s democratic movement. As pointed out by the International Federation of Journalists, it is “a craven sacrifice of principle,” and “it greatly diminishes free expression, to satisfy the intolerance of Beijing.” More and more Chinese people are turning to NTDTV for truthful information, especially after NTDTV’s transmission of Epoch Times’ “Nine Commentaries” fully exposed Chinese Communist Party’s history, nature and its crimes against mankind. After decades of forceful brainwashing, Chinese people get to know with the help of NTDTV, the concealed truth of Chinese Communist Party. More that 650,000 people renounced their memberships of the Communist Party and Youth league in less than three months after this program was aired, and the number is still increasing at an astonishing rate.
At this strategic moment, the Chinese Communist regime is trying to use Eutelsat’s hand to slam shut the free satellite window, and turns back the democratic advance.
At the present time, the U.S. government is Eutelsat’s biggest customer. We have the obligation to remind Eutelsat of its own convention to provide universal a non-discriminatory access to anyone.
Freedom and justice are the founding principles of our country, and they are also the pillars of the U.S. Foreign policy. We know that if democracy does not advance, the repression will.
I appeal to you, as the leader of the democratic world, at this strategic moment, give an encouragement to the Chinese democratic movement, give a hope to the Chinese people who aspire truthful and free information, support NTDTV to defend democracy, keep and expand the Asia free satellite window to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s distortion and coercion of commerce in the West. Make it plainly clear to the Chinese and all other repressors, that democracy and human rights are still, and will always be the unwavering principles of the democratic world that can not be bought.
Thank you very much for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
David R. Townsend
Member of Assembly
DRT/pal
(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
