Published by: World Tibet Network News, Thursdsay, August 8, 1996

Extract from "Early AM", ABC Radio National, 0700 hours, August 8

Presenter: The BBC claims Beijing is using an Australian backed radio station to jam broadcasts into Tibet. The British Broadcasting Service's Monitoring Service says China has been using a station called "Easy FM" to jam broadcasts by the dissident"Voice of Tibet". China correspondent Camille Furnell reports:

(sound of schmaltzy music)

Furnell: It's easy listening and it's called "Easy FM" and its English language radio program is supplied by a Sydney based company now owned by well known advertising figure John Singleton.

Easy FM announcer: It's ? on Easy FM and a song called "As Long as the Moon Can Shine" from 1987. Telstra time is 17 minutes to 11 o'clock. (fades out on advertisement for Telstra [Australia's nat ional telecommunications company] in Chinese)

Furnell: In 1994 John Singleton, with the help of one of his board members, Anne Keating, the sister of the then Prime Minister Paul Keating, renegotiated the rights to programming and advertising o n Easy FM. His company negotiated a ten year contract with China Radio International, with Easy FM's English language service now broadcast in many of China's major cities.

But according to the British Broadcasting Coreporation's Monitoring Service, Easy FM has been used for another purpose. The BBC's Monitoring Service says that since early July, it's detected that Ch ina has been using the signal of Easy FM to jam broadcasts to Tibet. The BBC says its monitoring showed weekly shortwave broadcasts by the Voice of Tibet were being quote "completely obliterated by the singal of Easy FM". A spokesman for the Sydney based company says they're unaware of Easy FM being used to jam any broadcasts. According to the BBC, China previously used so-called "white noise " beamed from jamming transmitters to prevent residents of Tibet from tuning into the Voice of Tibet. It's a service started only in May this year, broadcast out of Norway. It was set up by Worldvi ew International, an organisation which says it's committed to furthering the cause of human rights and free expression. The Australia Tibet Council says that the jamming of any broadcast into Tibet is a clear infringement of the

human rights of Tibetan people.

In the past year there's been signs of increased tensions in Tibet, and in just the last few days the London based Tibet Information Network claims severe restrictions have now been placed on foreign ers' movements in Tibet after travellers took photos of demonstrations in a Buddhist monastery. The organisation claims there's now a ban on individual tourists flying into the region and, in one to wn, even a ban on foreigners eating outside the main hotel. Camille Furnell, Beijing.