Falun Gong-linked newspaper seized, distribution prohibited
Fauwaz Abdul AzizPublished: Jul 1, 2005 2:44 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
The Internal Security Ministry has prohibited the distribution of a Chinese-language newspaper here related to the controversial Falun Gong movement.
The government has compounded 17,000 copies of the weekly, which is imported from Indonesia, and has been in circulation since last February.
The Internal Security Ministry has prohibited the distribution of a Chinese-language newspaper here related to the controversial Falun Gong movement.
The Epoch Times weekly imported from Indonesia publicises the excesses of the Chinese government, which has been persecuting some 60 million Falun Gong practitioners for their alleged 'anti-China' activities.
Its local distributing agent DZY Marketing said the ministry compounded 17,000 copies of the newspaper's June issues, which is being kept in a storeroom at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Any further distribution of the newspaper has also been prohibited by the ministry's publications monitoring division.
"Pursuant to the powers under Subsection (1) Section 9 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (amended) (1987), the ministry has decided that the publication's distribution be seized," the agent was told in a letter two weeks ago.
No reasons given
According to DZY spokesperson Chay Siew Fong, no other reasons or explanations for that decision have been furnished in black and white by the authorities.
"Since the two issues have been compounded, we have not received any official notices from the ministry pertaining to the reasons behind the proscription," she said when met yesterday.
"Even the letter notifying us merely of the proscription was issued after we constantly badgered them for something in black and white," she added.
DZY has since hired legal firm, Keppy Wong and Associates, to sue the ministry for a declaration in writing of the reasons behind the compound.
"The said newspaper has been brought into this country and widely distributed since February 2004 and the ministry has never presented any obstacles to our clients (in doing so)," said the firm in a letter to the ministry dated June 26.
"Your sudden actions, done without warning, in seizing the two issues concerned has caused losses to our clients who are forced to bear the (seized publications') transport and storage costs as well as losses in advertising and agreement contracts with their own clients," it added.
Bilateral relations
Despite the official silence, Chay claimed that an officer from the ministry told DZY that the content in Epoch Times went against the government's bilateral relations policy with the Chinese government.
"She told us that Epoch Times contains articles that were critical of the Chinese government and that it had many articles regarding the Falun Gong.
"Epoch Times writes on a lot of things happening in China, whether its human rights or the Christian religion or Falun Gong. If we have written anything wrong, they are free to take us to court and correct us," she said.
On the contrary, Chay said the newspaper played a complementary role to the government's efforts in educating the public about the ills of Communism.
She was referring to the Information Ministry's plans to produce a special documentary, in conjunction with the upcoming Independence Day August 31, to depict the "brutality of communist terrorists".
"We are doing this in line with the Information Ministry's efforts. Why are we punished this way" she asked.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Centre for Independent Journalism urged the government to release the publications in the interest of providing "fair opportunities for the public to obtain their information and independent news".
"The government should respect the right of the individual to be informed and select his or her own source of information," said the statement further.
There are some 400 Falun Gong practitioners in Malaysia. Their attempt to register with the Registrar of Societies was turned down at least three times over the past six years in three different states.
The government defended the rejection as resulting from the opposition of the Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The Epoch Times weekly imported from Indonesia publicises the excesses of the Chinese government, which has been persecuting some 60 million Falun Gong practitioners for their alleged 'anti-China' activities.
Its local distributing agent DZY Marketing said the ministry compounded 17,000 copies of the newspaper's June issues, which is being kept in a storeroom at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Any further distribution of the newspaper has also been prohibited by the ministry's publications monitoring division.
"Pursuant to the powers under Subsection (1) Section 9 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (amended) (1987), the ministry has decided that the publication's distribution be seized," the agent was told in a letter two weeks ago.
No reasons given
According to DZY spokesperson Chay Siew Fong, no other reasons or explanations for that decision have been furnished in black and white by the authorities.
"Since the two issues have been compounded, we have not received any official notices from the ministry pertaining to the reasons behind the proscription," she said when met yesterday.
"Even the letter notifying us merely of the proscription was issued after we constantly badgered them for something in black and white," she added.
DZY has since hired legal firm, Keppy Wong and Associates, to sue the ministry for a declaration in writing of the reasons behind the compound.
"The said newspaper has been brought into this country and widely distributed since February 2004 and the ministry has never presented any obstacles to our clients (in doing so)," said the firm in a letter to the ministry dated June 26.
"Your sudden actions, done without warning, in seizing the two issues concerned has caused losses to our clients who are forced to bear the (seized publications') transport and storage costs as well as losses in advertising and agreement contracts with their own clients," it added.
Bilateral relations
Despite the official silence, Chay claimed that an officer from the ministry told DZY that the content in Epoch Times went against the government's bilateral relations policy with the Chinese government.
"She told us that Epoch Times contains articles that were critical of the Chinese government and that it had many articles regarding the Falun Gong.
"Epoch Times writes on a lot of things happening in China, whether its human rights or the Christian religion or Falun Gong. If we have written anything wrong, they are free to take us to court and correct us," she said.
On the contrary, Chay said the newspaper played a complementary role to the government's efforts in educating the public about the ills of Communism.
She was referring to the Information Ministry's plans to produce a special documentary, in conjunction with the upcoming Independence Day August 31, to depict the "brutality of communist terrorists".
"We are doing this in line with the Information Ministry's efforts. Why are we punished this way" she asked.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Centre for Independent Journalism urged the government to release the publications in the interest of providing "fair opportunities for the public to obtain their information and independent news".
"The government should respect the right of the individual to be informed and select his or her own source of information," said the statement further.
There are some 400 Falun Gong practitioners in Malaysia. Their attempt to register with the Registrar of Societies was turned down at least three times over the past six years in three different states.
The government defended the rejection as resulting from the opposition of the Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
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