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Press release 15.8.2008
FILM ORGANISATIONS’ STATEMENT ON FILM DIRECTOR ARTO HALONEN’S CHINA VISA China did not grant a visa to film director Arto Halonen for the Beijing Olympics, despite the fact that Halonen was on the Finnish Olympic Committee's guest list. The Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and President Tarja Halonen have not challenged this decision or commented on it. The precise reason for the denial of Arto Halonen's visa has not been given by China. Between 1994 and 1998 Halonen directed a film set in China and Tibet, Karmapa - Two Ways of Divinity, which depicts China’s oppression of Tibet’s religion and culture, amongst other subjects. The film received the European Union Humanitarian Award. In a similar recent case, the leaders of the United States have stood up to defend freedom of speech. China cancelled the visa of the American Olympic medallist Joey Cheek, one of the founders of the Team Darfur organisation. This organisation urges China, which trades in oil and weaponry with Sudan, to pressure Sudan to end the violence in Darfur. The White House protested the visa's denial with strict words to China. As filmmakers, we feel great concern over how artists working to further widely-recognized ethical values are not supported by our own political leadership. Our leaders similarly fail to defend these values outside our borders when up against a significant trade partner such as China. We are asking the decision-makers to show basic moral resolve on this issue, and to issue a straightforward statement in defense of freedom of speech. We hope that Finland will be an example of a country that defends human rights - not only in political speeches but also in concrete actions. One positive step would be to demand that China provides a clear reason for the denial of director Halonen's visa.
The Finnish
Documentary Guild
Contact details: Katariina Järvi,
chairman, The Finnish
Documentary Guild, tel. +358-400-507 975 |