CBC Pulls Falun Gong Doc

OTTAWA, November 9: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) is coming under fire for pulling a documentary about the Falun Gong
spiritual movement from its schedule, reportedly after receiving complaints
from Chinese diplomats.

According to local reports, the special was pulled just
hours before it was due to re-air Tuesday night. Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of Falun Gong had already been broadcast by the public broadcaster
in the spring. It focused on the experience of a Canadian member of the
spiritual movement Falun Gong, which is outlawed in China.

Jeff Keay, a spokesman for CBC Television, confirmed to
local reporters that the film was pulled after the broadcaster received calls
from the Chinese Embassy Ottawa and the Toronto-based consulate. He is quoted
as saying in the Toronto Star: "We
want to … make sure it's an absolutely rigorous piece of work because it's
become clear over the past 24 to 36 hours that there's a lot of interest in the
thing. We want to make sure it's a solid piece of work that will stand up to
intense scrutiny."

A new broadcast date has not been announced for the film.

—By Mansha Daswani