China, forced confession and the long silence of the CRTC

This Hong Kong resident was arrested in August 2019. He asserted that his confession had been obtained through torture and that his confession had been obtained through torture.

The man was working at the British Consulate in Hong Kong and was only released after appearing on China State Television. In this video sequence, he admits that he specifically asked for prostitutes.

The police did everything they could to give me. After many days of physical and mental torture, I am in deep grief., He testifies. One of the victims of the confession obtained under Simon Cheng Dures.

This Beijing practice is to obtain false confessions from Chinese suspects and foreigners, and then broadcast on TV channels under the direct control of the Communist Party. Episodes are produced in close collaboration with the police before the trial and often before the charges are laid.

Tens of millions of viewers worldwide have access through this type of broadcast acknowledgment China Global Television Network (CGTN) and China Central Television-4 (CCTV-4). In Canada, Rogers Distributes these two Chinese international channels. Videotron offers CCTV-4 In Quebec.

This is Canada’s quiet and irresponsible complexity, Simon Cheng joined London, where he is now in exile. By disbanding these channels, Canada is encouraging Beijing to do more and forgiving the regime’s propaganda.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on the CGTN channel distributed in Canada.

Photo: Getty Images / Leon Neil

More than 60 forced confessions

It has been almost a year and a half since the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission filed a complaint with the CRTC.

L’ONG Defending defenders Madrid is the center. She alleges that the two Chinese stations together aired more than 60 confessions from people detained by Chinese authorities.

The evidence presented in this detailed complaint revealed that abusive and malicious content had been systematically spread over a period of six years., Explains the Executive Director of Defending defenders, Peter Dahlin.

Sweden, a former human rights defender in China, had to make a videotaped confession in 2016. He spent 23 days in solitary confinement in secret prison, interrogated for hours of sleep deprivation. He was released after giving false confessions aired by Chinese state media, including Canada.

Peter Dahlin, Sweden, Executive Director of Safeguard Defenders.

Photo: Associated Press / Frank Augustine

While still CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission In 2006, the Chinese government authorized the distribution of nine channels in Canada, he specifically requested CCTV-4 sees to it that unwanted comments are not broadcast […] Otherwise it will be removed from the digital listings.

But 17 months after receiving the complaint Defending defenders, The CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission She declined to say why the decision had not yet been made.

We cannot comment on the progress of the review of the complaint or the reasons for which the decision was not released at this time., Indicates CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission In writing. The CRTC examines the complaint and does not comment on any action that can be considered.

Pierre Belanger, a professor at the University of Ottawa, closely follows these activities. CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission, Qualify Completely extraordinary Processing time for this file.

Can’t imagine a politician not participating. That is impossible.

According to Pierre Belanger, in the wake of sharp diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Beijing, CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission Deliberately delay processing the complaint for fear of humiliating China. The command can only come from above, He concluded.

The government intervened CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission Ever since this complaint was filed to delay a decision and humiliate China?

Certainly not. There is no government intervention, Heritage Minister Steven Gilbolt answers the office. The CRTC – not the government – is responsible for overseeing the delivery of non-Canadian services in Canada.

But Canada’s silence puts it in a very difficult position to justify. Other Western countries have already taken steps to prevent China from broadcasting forced confessions to Western countries.

Last February, the British media regulator had already revoked the license of the CGTN channel, which in fact was considered to be subject to the Communist Party of China.

The response did not take long. Beijing has withdrawn the authority given by the BBC to broadcast on Chinese territory.

The BBC office in Beijing, China.

Photo: Getty Images / afp by Noel Selis

One month after Britain made the decision, Australia suspended the broadcast of CGTN and CCTV-4 pending the outcome of the interim investigation. This decision was made It raises serious concerns and the complexity of the relevant issue.

This is definitely a complaint from an NGO Defending defenders, Which is similar to the one filed in Canada, which is the source of this suspension. In Australia, the decision was made in just 48 hours.

Meanwhile, in Canada, the CRTC is not doing its job and this is not acceptable, Laments Peter Dahlin Defending defenders. It was frustrating. We expect so much more from Canada.

It should be noted that since 2018 the Chinese state media has been kept directly under the control of the Communist Party following the reform imposed by President Xi Jinping.

Victims are called Rogers and Videotron

Below the letter sent to Rogers and Videotron companies are the signatures of the victims of the forced confession.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Mark Godmbout

When there is no decision from CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission, Sent a letter to more than a dozen Rogers and videotrons of forced confession victims to end the transmission of CGTN and CCTV-4.

Encouraging serious human rights violations to allow such dangerous programming to be broadcast., Write victims.

But in almost identical answers, Rogers and Videotron returned the ball CRTCCanadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission.

CRTC is currently reviewing the activity you are referring to. Since the Federal Body is studying this case, we will postpone its decision until it has given its verdict.

The delay in the council’s decision has once again drawn criticism from Ottawa from critics for not being consistent with Beijing.

It also reminds us that Canada has not yet decided whether Huawei exists in the country’s 5G telephone network. A resolution unfavorable to the Chinese telecommunications giant would inevitably be considered an insult by Beijing.

The problem of forced confession is less known than Huawei and its economic implications are not the same. But in both cases, Canada seems to be exercising restraint over China.

Two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spover, still rule China. Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou has been jailed in Vancouver after being arrested in December 2018.

The same question arises again. Is it better to keep a low profile or emphasize yourself? No strategy comes without risk.