The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is under fire for allegedly promoting hatred and hostility towards Chinese dissidents. A lawsuit has been filed against the ABC accusing them of inaccurate reporting and inciting hatred against the persecuted spiritual practice Falun Gong. The adherents of Falun Gong claim that the ABC’s programming has stirred up undeserved public hatred and hostility towards the practice, and they are seeking the removal of the ABC’s programs citing Section 8 of Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001.
The specific programs in question are episodes of the podcast series Background Briefing and an episode of the television series Foreign Correspondent, which were broadcast on multiple platforms owned by the ABC. The ABC contends that their programs were produced in the public interest, but they are not arguing the exception that their program was a “fair and accurate report of any event.”
The legal battle began in late 2021 in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) with hearings in August 2023. However, during closing statements on November 14, ABC’s legal representative raised the issue of jurisdiction, arguing that VCAT did not have the authority to hear matters related to the “Commonwealth of Australia.” This led to the matter being referred to a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria to determine if VCAT could make a decision.
Faced with these legal challenges, the ABC’s conduct could potentially disadvantage the Falun Gong practitioners in question. The trial is ongoing, and the allegations against the ABC continue to be a source of contention.