China on Wednesday accused Falun Gong supporters of a criminal attack after weekend state television satellite broadcasts were interrupted by a video about the banned spiritual group. The incident affected 25 channels of state-run television on the APSTAR 6 satellite on Sunday evening, according to APT Satellite Holdings Ltd., the Hong Kong company that operates the satellite.
"Falun Gong's satellite attack ... was a criminal act in violation of universally recognized standards and ought to be condemned by the international community," said a statement by China's Foreign Ministry.
The statement didn't say how the group was believed to have interfered with the signal.
A Falun Gong spokeswoman in Hong Kong had earlier denied that the group was involved, and called the Chinese accusations a smear campaign.
Beijing [Images] banned the group in 1999 as a possible threat to the Communist Party's monopoly on power.
China has detained thousands of Falun Gong practitioners. The group says more than 2,300 have been killed in custody. Chinese authorities deny mistreating them, but say some detainees have died after hunger strikes or refusing medical help.
More reports from China
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