Police in Jilin province have arrested at least four Falun Gong practitioners suspected of sabotaging the cable television network in Changchun city last month to broadcast programmes defending the banned spiritual movement.
The semi-official China News Service (CNS) reported on its Web site yesterday that 18 Falun Gong practitioners were behind the sabotage. It did not say if all 18 had been arrested, but published the photographs of the four main suspects in custody.
The report said the 'stubborn Falun Gong elements' interrupted prime-time programmes on March 5 to transmit programmes to defend the banned movement.
The report said the group chose March 5 because several Falun Gong practitioners were due to be tried the following day.
Earlier reports said the programmes broadcast included footage of Falun Gong's United States-based leader Li Hongzhi and a film accusing the Chinese Government of staging the self-immolation of alleged adherents to the movement in Tiananmen Square last year.
The CNS report yesterday identified the four suspects as leader Liang Zhenxing, Zhou Runjun, Lei Ming and Liu Chengjun. It alleged Liang planned to sabotage the network as early as last December and spent more than 11,000 yuan (HK$10,340) on equipment for tapping and transmitting TV signals and on training his followers to operate it.
