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China
Dear Friends,
It is with much sadness that we write to ask for your help in seeking the protection and release of a very brave North Korean man, Mr Yoo Sang-joon. Mr Yoo tragically lost his young son as he tried to escape from China and has since been trying to rescue other North Koreans from danger in China. Sadly he was arrested near the Mongolian border and we have just heard that Mr Yoo is due to be tried in Inner Mongolia, China at 9 am on Monday 26th November 2007.
Mr Yoo’s arrest and story were reported in The Sunday Times on 18th November 2007. The article ‘Death awaits Korea’s escape mastermind’ can be viewed at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2891008.ece. Mr Yoo visited the United Kingdom to share his story at the invitation of CSW in November 2002 and his heartbreaking experiences have often been key in highlighting the tragedy of life for North Koreans. Mr Yoo’s wife and youngest son died in the North Korean famine. Severely weakened by the famine himself, Mr Yoo realised that the same fate was likely to befall him and his remaining son, Chul Min, if they stayed in North Korea. Despite the high risks involved, they fled to China where they suffered much hardship. Unable to travel together, Chul Min, aged 10, attempted to escape across the Mongolian border. However, unfamiliar with the inhospitable terrain, he wandered for 26 hours and, suffering from dehydration and weakened from the famine, he tragically died before crossing the Mongolian border.
We are naturally gravely concerned for Mr Yoo’s welfare. Activists in South Korea consider this a unique case, highlighting both the tragic background and the redemptive sacrificial motivation of Mr Yoo. Clearly his own loss has motivated immense humanitarian concern for others at risk and we sincerely hope that China will not punish Mr Yoo for simply seeking to implement the protection which China should be providing as a party to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its Protocol. Although Mr Yoo is now a South Korean citizen, the broad international nature of the issues concerned, alongside the concerns expressed for his welfare as a North Korean, are prompting urgent calls for international intervention with China before the trial on Monday to seek his protection. Those close to Mr Yoo hope that the outcome could be a swift deportation to South Korea as opposed to other more grim possibilities. The trial date has come unusually quickly and it is felt that the Chinese may be seeking to deal with the issue swiftly before further international attention is attracted, especially in the light of the forthcoming Beijing Olympics.
We would be most grateful if you could write to the Chinese authorities to convey your concern for Mr Yoo as a matter of urgency before the trial on Monday. Addresses are provided below. As time is very short for messages to be conveyed to the relevant authorities in China by the end of the week, we would be grateful if you could use the fastest forms of communication, including fax where available. We do of course covet your prayers for Mr Yoo’s release and welfare at this time.
We pray that as we raise our voices together freedom and justice will come for Mr Yoo. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and pray. May God bless you as you speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Yours in Christ,
CSW Advocacy Team
Lobbying addresses:
Her Excellency Ms Fu Ying,
Ambassador,
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to the UK,
49-51 Portland Place,
London W1N 1JL
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7636 2981 / 5578
E-mail:
chinaemb_uk@mfa.gov.cn
Tel: +44 (0)20 7299 4049,
07970 292561 (24 hours)
If you are writing from outside the UK please refer to the following link for the relevant embassy address: http://www.china.org.cn/english/Embassies/197333.htm
Minister of Justice
Ms Wu Aiying,
Ministry of Justice,
No. 10 Nan Da Jie,
Chaoyangmen,
Beijing City 100020
People’s Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 6472 9863
Email: minister@ legalinfo.gov.cn
pufamaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
Tel: +86 10 6520 5114
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao
PO Box 1741,
The State Council, Beijing 100017,
People’s Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 6596 1109
Email:
gazette@mail.gov.cn
Tel: +86 10 6601 2399
---------------------------------------------
April 12, 2007
China's
Catholics, the Holy See and religious freedom
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=942
By Magda Hornemann, Forum 18 News Service <http://www.forum18.org>
Many experts have noted that the relationship between the Chinese government and
the Vatican has greatly improved over the last few years. They are quite
optimistic that the relationship will be normalized relatively soon. What was
once perceived as the major obstacle in the normalization of bilateral
relations, the Vatican's diplomatic relations with Taiwan, has for all practical
purposes been removed. The main issue of contention remains government control
over the selection of Chinese clergy, especially bishops. However, even on this
point, most, if not all, Chinese bishops appointed by the government-sanctioned
Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) unofficially seek the Vatican's approval
even as they accept the government appointments.
Although some Chinese Catholics both inside and outside mainland China have
condemned the CPA and have demanded that the Vatican declare the
government-approved Chinese Catholic church to be schismatic, the Vatican has
not taken this step. This may ultimately bear fruit for the Vatican, because a
divided Catholic Church in China is very much in the interest of the Chinese
government. A united Church that acknowledges the Vatican's authority, whether
publicly or privately, may impede the government's efforts to control it and so
may ultimately facilitate the growth of a church that is independent of the
government, if not in law then at least in practice.
Among all the religions in China, Catholicism is notable for having a clear
external political dimension. It is the one religious community in China that
has a clear internationally recognized source of diplomatic power outside the
country. The Holy See, after all, is a recognized state as well as a spiritual
centre.
Tibetan Buddhism also has a source of power outside Chinese-controlled territory
ever since the Dalai Lama escaped to India (see F18News 25 November 2004 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=462>).
However, it is clearly different from the Holy See as it is not an
internationally recognized state.
Having a clear source of power outside China has always made the Catholic
community in China dangerous in the eyes of the communist rulers. The
establishment of the "patriotic" religious organizations at the founding of the
People's Republic was, arguably, directed primarily at concerns about the
Vatican's continued influence in China. The communist leaders were arguably less
worried about the influence of the disparate foreign Protestant groups. This
concern about foreign influence in general and the Catholic Church's foreign
connection in particular continues to be seen in recent official documents.
For example, in the October 1997 White Paper on "Freedom of Religious Belief in
China," the Chinese government focused completely on the Vatican and foreign
Protestant organizations and individuals when justifying the need for Chinese
religious communities to remain independent of foreign influence. The Catholic
Church and the Protestant communities were portrayed in the White Paper as
"tools" of hostile Western countries, which were seeking to colonize China. The
White Paper portrayed these communities as unwilling to permit Chinese clerics
to assume leadership positions in the churches in China. The White Paper, in
particular, noted that immediately prior to the Communist Party taking power,
"among the 20 archbishops in China were 17 foreigners and only three Chinese; in
the 143 parishes there were some 110 foreign bishops but only about 20 Chinese
bishops."
This non-Chinese dimension to Catholicism in China is not new, nor - in keeping
with Catholicism's self-understanding of itself as a universal and not a
national church - has it been unusual in other countries. As long ago as the
16th Century, foreign Catholic intellectuals were influential within China (see
F18News 2 August 2006 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=821>).
But today, if the Church were able to freely exercise its religious freedom, the
overwhelming majority of its leaders would be - as they are amongst both
"underground" and "patriotic" Catholics - Chinese citizens.
An important part of this foreign dimension for Chinese Catholicism has been the
fact that the Vatican and the Taiwan government have had formal diplomatic
relations since 1951, two years after the defeated Chinese nationalist
government headed by Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan. Undoubtedly, this
decision was the reaction of a strongly anti-communist pope, Pius XII, and the
Vatican's understandable outrage at the Chinese communists' purposeful and
wanton destruction of Catholic churches in China and the persecution of Chinese
Catholics.
To this day, Chinese officials continue to cite Vatican's diplomatic relations
with Taiwan as one of the two obstacles toward the normalization of Sino-Vatican
relations - the other being the Chinese demand that the Vatican give up all
rights and efforts to control the Catholic community in China, most notably the
appointment of Chinese bishops. However, the Taiwan-Vatican relationship, for
over 25 years, has been all form and no substance. Since 1980, the Vatican's
delegation in Taipei has been led by a charge d'affaires rather than a
full-fledged ambassador, or a papal nuncio. Second, the Vatican has already
indicated publicly through various high-ranking Catholic clerics, including Hong
Kong Archbishop Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun - who is known for his public
statements against Chinese government controls on the Catholic Church - that the
Vatican is ready to end its diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Although the Chinese government was publicly outraged by the fact that Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian was present at Pope John Paul II's funeral, it would
seem that the issue of Taiwan is a public relations point more than a
substantive one. The substantive point may be the Chinese government wanting to
secure political control of China's Catholic Church. If this is so, even if the
Vatican were to end all diplomatic relations with Taiwan this break would make
little difference to the issue of normalizing relations between China and the
Vatican.
On the other hand, some experts argue that the philosophical differences between
Catholicism - and all other religions - and Communism remain the core obstacle
to the normalization of Sino-Vatican relations. Professor Beatrice Leung, a
respected expert on state-religion relations and the Catholic Church in China,
argued in a recent essay in the "Journal of Contemporary China" that the
difficulty in the relations between the Vatican and the Chinese governments
"rests in the ideological incompatibility between the dialectic materialism
embedded in Marxism Leninism and religious idealism".
Undoubtedly, the contradictions between the doctrines of the Chinese Communist
Party and the beliefs of most religious communities are too great and too
numerous for some to overcome. Some Chinese Communist Party officials have been
visibly alarmed that an increasing number of Communist Party members are also
religious believers (see F18News 13 February 2007 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=910>).
In a book published in July 2005 on "United Front Work" [Tongzhan gongzuo], the
authors wrote in the section on "religious work" that "[Communist] Party members
must be firm in their belief in Communism; they must not believe in religions.
For party members who have lost their qualification as party members due to
their belief in religions, and even those who use their authority to facilitate
religious fanaticism, they must be strictly dealt with according to the
regulations and requirements contained in the party constitution."
Yet, the differences between Communist theory and Catholicism are clearly not
permanent barriers to improving the relationship between China and the Holy See.
It is commonplace for observers to note that very few people in China today
believe in Communism. As Forum 18 has found within China, many, if not most,
people in the country see Communist Party membership as an instrument for career
advancement, not an ideology they believe in. And as the state has publicly
declared that religions will be in China for a long time and that religious
communities are important for the construction of a "harmonious society", the
communist state has officially given its approval to holding religious beliefs.
Certainly, Communist ideology has not prevented the Chinese government from
allowing the Catholic Church in China to pay spiritual homage to the Vatican. A
parishioner in the church that houses the headquarters of the Catholic Patriotic
Association (CPA) in Beijing, for example, told Forum 18 that all Chinese
Catholic adherents recognize and accept the Vatican's spiritual authority. The
parishioner insisted that the Chinese Catholic Church actively seeks communion
with the Vatican. Supporting the parishioner's testimony were news items posted
outside the Wangfujin Catholic church in Beijing, which clearly stated that
Chinese Catholics were encouraged to boycott the 2006 film "The Da Vinci Code"
in accordance with the Vatican's instructions (see F18News 5 December 2006 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=883>).
As suggested earlier, it seems that the main obstacle in the normalization of
Sino-Vatican relations remains political control, which is shown in the events
of the past year. The Chinese government does not want the Vatican to have any
say in the selection of senior Chinese clerics. This desire for exclusive
political control is not necessarily connected with conflicts between Communism
and Catholicism. To China, it just makes good political sense to make sure that
it does not share domestic political authority with another government,
especially when - as Communist party members admit in private - the Chinese
Communist Party is insecure in its legitimacy and both the Communist Party and
the Holy See are deeply suspicious of each others' motives.
For this reason, the Chinese government refuses to consider the "Vietnam model",
which involves the Vatican submitting a list of candidates for bishops to the
Vietnamese government, with the pope making a final decision based in part on
the government's opinions. The Chinese government is unlikely to compromise
significantly on this issue. But it may be possible that the Catholic Patriotic
Association might agree to provide a list of candidates to the Vatican, and then
to take a decision based in part on the Vatican's opinions. If so, then the
question is whether the Vatican would be willing to accept this approach.
But assuming for a moment that the relationship between the Holy See and the
Chinese government is able to overcome this major obstacle and become a normal
diplomatic relationship, what effects would that have on the situation facing
Catholics in China?
The most egregious problems that confront the Catholic community in China today
involve local officials cracking down on the clerics and lay members of the
so-called "underground" Catholic Church. According to the Cardinal Kung
Foundation, whose founder, Joseph Kung, is a nephew of former Cardinal Ignatius
Pei-Min Kung (who had served 30 years in prison between 1955 and 1985), as of
March 2007, five bishops and 14 priests in the underground church were in
prison, eight bishops were under house arrest or surveillance, and two others
were in hiding. The problem of local officials attacking religious freedom is a
long-standing problem, and affects all China's religious communities (see
F18News 1 September 2005 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=641>).
If the relationship between the Vatican and China were normalized today, it is
unlikely that these crackdowns would completely disappear. During the short to
medium-term future, the best that Catholics could hope for is a reduction in the
frequency of these incidents. A normalized relationship would mean that the
Vatican may be more able to get the central Chinese government to reduce or halt
these attacks. However, as these crackdowns are often generated at the local
level and in policy areas that are controlled by the Ministry of Public Security
and the state security organs, the Foreign Ministry - which would be the primary
ministry the Vatican would be relating to - would be unlikely to have much
influence unless it was also supported by political leaders like Premier Wen
Jiabao, or the Vice-premiers in charge of those policy areas.
Also, some of these egregious violations of religious freedom reflect "internal"
conflicts between senior leaders of the "underground" Catholic Church and their
government-sanctioned counterparts. One source of this is that - as Cardinal Zen
has noted - without continuing state support the Catholic Patriotic Association
has the potential to disintegrate, as its members may publicly join the
"underground" Catholic Church. A normalized state-to-state relationship may
allow the Vatican to become more directly involved in the affairs of the Chinese
Catholic Church and thus able to intervene in such internal conflicts. However,
this may not be permitted by the Chinese government, which is likely to be
extremely wary of any public effort on the Vatican's part to "intervene" in the
affairs of the Chinese Catholic community. Like the other state-recognized
religious associations, a monolithic "patriotic" facade conceals great diversity
and potential for disputes (see F18News 5 December 2006 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=883>).
However, the Vatican has so far not formally declared that there is a schism
between any part of the Catholic Church in China and the Vatican. This may
indirectly help to remove the internal conflicts among Chinese Catholics, by
providing the basis for a unified Chinese church. Here, the contents of Pope
Benedict XVI's forthcoming "personal letter to Catholics in China" - announced
in January 2007 - will have implications for both the church in China and for
the Vatican's future influence on the Catholic community there.
Much of the internal conflict is between personalities, between those people who
resisted the communist regime and suffered for their defiance, and those people
who agreed to work within the government-sanctioned framework (see F18News 15
June 2005 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=584>).
These personalities will over time become less influential, which may cause
these conflicts to diminish.
In addition to these internal conflicts at the upper echelon of the Chinese
church, it seems clear that the current diplomatic situation is a reflection of
the absence of consensus within the Chinese government about the desirability of
a normalized relationship with the Vatican. This is probably due to the
tendency among Chinese political leaders to think of the relationship primarily
in political terms. As Sister Betty Ann Maheu, a former editor of "Tripod," a
publication of the Holy Spirit Centre in Hong Kong, wrote in November 2005, the
current pope "must somehow convince the government in China that the mission of
the church is religious, not political." This is a very large task, which one
might even say is almost but not completely impossible.
It would be a mistake to overlook the positive effects that regular interactions
between the Vatican and China can have on changing the perceptions of Chinese
political leaders. Also, significant progress has already been made towards
uniting the Catholic Church in China. This progress may eventually cause the
Chinese government to change its position on diplomatic relations with the Holy
See. However, whether full diplomatic relations will be restored still depends
on whether the government thinks it is in its interest to strengthen the ties of
China's Catholics to the Vatican, by allowing the Holy See to have a normal
diplomatic presence in China.
But even if there is a normalization of relations between the Holy See and the
Chinese government in the near future, this may not bring any significant short
to medium term practical improvements in the religious freedom of Chinese
Catholics or of other religious communities. This is because, for China's
Catholics as for other religious believers, the major challenge to their
religious freedom is the state's wish to control Chinese religious communities.
(END)
----------------------------------------
February 13, 2007 "Religious Communists" and religious freedom
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=910
Numbers of religious believers in China are, recent surveys indicate, much
greater than previously thought, and a growing percentage of these believers are
also Communist Party members, Forum 18 News Service notes. Many Chinese citizens
Forum 18 has spoken to - including "religious Communists" - see Party membership
just as a matter of gaining material advantages, and religious belief as a
"private" matter. This "privatization" is encouraged by the state's attempts to
stop religious communities becoming a force that can challenge the party-state.
Yet freedom to believe is only one part of religious freedom; the freedom to
practice religion is also vital. "Privatized" religious belief, operating within
state-prescribed legal and administrative boundaries, is highly unlikely to
produce the two things the state ostensibly most wants from religious
communities - contributions to social welfare reforms and social progress. If
China had true religious freedom, religious communities would be able to
organize themselves independently, and more able to help with social welfare -
and China would definitely be on the path to democracy.
------------------------------------------
October 21, 2006 Disabled Chinese pastor sentenced for producing Christian literature during Archbishop's visit
As Chinese officials host
the Archbishop of Canterbury, the seriousness of the restrictions on Christian
activity in the country have been highlighted by the sentencing of a disabled
pastor for printing Bibles and Christian literature.
Pastor Wang Zaiqing, a well known house church pastor from Anhui province, has
been sentenced to two years imprisonment and fined 100,000 yuan ($12,700) for
producing Bibles and Christian materials. In a now familiar tactic, Pastor Wang
was charged with conducting ‘illegal business practices’ even though he gave
the literature away and made no profit.
The verdict was announced on 9 October, the same day the Archbishop discussed
the need for more pastors and theological training for the Church in China
during his visit to Shanghai.
Pastor Wang’s case is the third such prosecution for illegal business
practices for production of Christian literature in the last year. It highlights
the Chinese authorities’ tactic of criminalizing religious activities in order
to disguise religious persecution under the cloak of the law.
The most prominent of these cases has been that of well known Beijing house
church leader Pastor Cai who was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal
business practices on 8 November 2005 for producing Bibles and Christian
literature. Pastor Cai was defended by Mr Gao Zhisheng, the prominent lawyer who
has been targeted for his fearless defense of religious freedom and human
rights. Gao has been charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’. His
lawyer received the notification of the decision to charge him during the
Archbishop’s visit, on 12 October. The charge followed weeks of silence after
Gao’s removal by a dozen security officers on 15 August, prompting strong
international criticism.
In releasing the news of the sentence of Wang Zaiqing, Rev. Bob Fu of China Aid
Association said: ‘It is totally unacceptable for the Chinese authorities to
arrest this pious [disabled] pastor simply for printing Bibles. We appeal to the
Archbishop of Canterbury, who will hold a press conference in Beijing Monday,
October 23, at the conclusion of his visit to China, to voice his concerns on
the situation of religious freedom in China’.
Tina Lambert, Deputy National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide says:
‘It is sadly ironic that at the time Chinese officials are seeking to show
progress in religious matters they are simultaneously sentencing a pastor for
producing Christian literature. China claims to be afraid of cults, yet it
suppresses production of Christian materials, forces groups to operate secretly
and prevents them from running seminaries. Such policies simply create a
breeding ground for heresies and unorthodox practice. It would make much better
sense to allow all groups to operate freely in public without the current
restrictions which breach international standards. For a long time now the
unregistered church of China has been calling for the government to acknowledge
and establish dialogue with its leaders. We hope that China will recognize that
now is the time to take this step forward to provide concrete proof of its
claims of progress in religious matters.’
--------------------------------
July 10, 2006 Grave concerns over death sentences and long prison terms
Dear Friends,
In recent days we have received disheartening news regarding a number of cases in China. Pastor Zhang Rongliang has been sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment despite being dangerously ill, and Pastor Xu Shuangfu has been sentenced to death along with two other pastors. We encourage you to pray and to write letters using the information and addresses below. Please also pray for 72-year-old underground Catholic Bishop Jia Zhiguo, who has been arrested for the ninth time since 2004 even though he is still recovering from an operation he had early in June.
Pastor Xu Shuangfu and others
Mr Xu Shuangfu (also known as Xu Wenku), leader of the religious group known as The Three Grades of Servants, has been sentenced to death for murder, along with fellow leaders Mr Li Maoxing and Mr Wang Jun. Three others were given two-year suspended death sentences on the same charge. A further eleven members of The Three Grades of Servants were given sentences of between three and fifteen years.
The trial of the group members initially took place from February 28th to March 3rd, 2006 in Shuangyashan Intermediate Court, at which evidence emerged that severe torture and sexual abuse had been used to extract confessions from defendants. The defendants are accused of murdering twenty leaders of a group known as Eastern Lightning and defrauding members of their own group of 32 million yuan (£2.2 million). The verdict was reportedly issued by the Chief Judge, Mr Liu Qingyi, on June 28, and delivered to the defense lawyers on July 5.
It is extremely concerning that these death sentences have been pronounced following an unfair trial which has revealed the use of torture. Two prominent lawyers in the case have reportedly expressed the opinion that the prosecution evidence failed to prove the guilt of the defendants.
Pastor Zhang Rongliang
Pastor Zhang Rongliang was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment by the Zhongmu City People's Court on June 29. He is the leader of China for Christ Church, which is estimated by some to have 10 million members, and has been detained since he was arrested without charge on 1 December 2004. He was accused of falsifying a passport, obtaining passports under false pretences and illegal border crossing.
The sentence is unexpectedly long. It is also particularly harsh given Pastor Zhang's poor health. He has serious diabetes and high blood pressure and has been in hospital for most of the four months prior to the trial. An official hospital diagnosis in 2005 recognized that he has five chronic illnesses. Such is the precariousness of his situation that reportedly the officials from the Zhongmu City Court initially refused to accept him as they feared he might die in custody. We are hoping that he may therefore be released on medical parole.
The case would not have arisen if it were not for the discrimination faced by religious figures in the issuing of passports, freedom of movement and freedom of association with co-religionists abroad, all of which are in violation of international standards. The sentencing of Pastor Zhang demonstrates how the persecution of religious believers can be disguised by other seemingly unrelated charges.
Addresses
As the two cases are of different natures we would recommend writing separate letters. For ease you can write to the first address on the list and cc your original letter to the other addresses.
President
of the People's Republic of China
Hu Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Fax: 00 86 10 63070952
His
Excellency Zhou Wenzhong
Ambassador
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Minister
for Justice Ms Wu Aiying
Ministry of Justice for People's Republic of China
No. 10 Nan Da Jie
Chaoyangmen
Beijing City 100020
People's Republic of China
Fax: 00 86 10 64729863
We would also be grateful if you could write to your political representatives, asking them to raise the cases.
Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). Ask your Congressperson to raise your concerns with both the Congress and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, and to additionally raise this in appropriate international forums.Secretary of State
Condoleezza RiceThank you so much for your concern and action
May God bless you as you speak up for those without a voice
----------------------------
June 6, 2006 Imprisoned underground church leader beaten again
Pastor Gong Shengliang, leader of the South China Church, has been beaten again in prison. The attack took place on 21 March in Hong Shan prison, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, where Pastor Gong is currently held. As a result he was unable to move his mouth for three days and suffered some loss of hearing in his right ear.
The news emerged on 2 June after China Aid Association (CAA) learnt that Pastor Gong's two sisters, Ms Gong Shuqin and Ms Gong Shuzhen, were permitted to visit him on 18 April and saw that the right side of his face was still swollen. He informed them that Lei, a prisoner designated as his 24-hour guard by the prison officer, was responsible for the unprovoked beating. Following the attack, Lei was applauded by the prison officer and left unpunished, whereas Pastor Gong had two merit points taken off his prison record. Pastor Gong's request to have Lei moved to another group in the prison was rejected by the prison officer.
Gong's family had not received any news from him for over a year because the prison prevented the communication of letters between them. Gong's sisters reported to CAA that when they visited, Ms Gong Shuqin was only allowed 10 minutes with him, and Ms Gong Shuzhen was threatened with not even seeing him at all.
These are just the latest in a series of injustices faced by Pastor Gong since his initial arrest and detention in 2001. At that time he was sentenced to death along with five other leaders after the South China Church was branded a cult by the Chinese authorities. However, following an international outcry the cases were re-heard on appeal and Gong was instead sentenced to life in prison.
Now in his mid-50s, Pastor Gong has been subject to horrific torture and mistreatment which has left him in danger of his life. In 2003 he was beaten into a coma and sustained serious internal injuries that left him bedridden for weeks. In April 2004 it was reported that he said to his sister 'If you are able in any way, please transfer me to another prison - otherwise just come and pick up my corpse'.
CSW-UK's Advocacy Director, Tina Lambert, stated: 'It is a matter of deep concern that the first news to emerge in over a year regarding Pastor Gong Shengliang reveals yet more torture and discrimination against him. His treatment continues to be in flagrant breach of international human rights standards. We call on China to stand by those international treaties to which she is a signatory and to release Pastor Gong in recognition of the fundamental right of religious freedom.'
Notes to Editors:
Pastor Gong's religious activities prior to his arrest were considered illegal by the Chinese authorities because the South China Church is unregistered and therefore unofficial. Many Chinese Christians prefer to worship at unregistered churches, as the government-sanctioned official church places restrictions on teaching and other church activities.
---------------------------
December 13, 2004 Urgent Action for China 12-13-04
Dear Friends,
We
are writing with very disturbing news of the arrest of one of the most prominent
Protestant house church leaders in
There is also concern for Gao Shunping, who had helped in the provision of ID for Pastor Zhang, who has been missing since 2nd December.
The following are
useful addresses for lobbying purposes. You do not need to write to all and you
can cc your original letter to other addresses rather than writing a number of
letters.
President of the
People's Republic of
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of
Telegram: President Hu Jintao,
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Salutation: Your Excellency
(Fax is likely to
be more effective than e-mail)
---------------------------------
August
20, 2004 Fresh
arrests as China pursues religious crackdown
Further
evidence of the crackdown on religious believers in
On August 6th, at
around 6 pm, eight underground Roman Catholic priests and two underground Roman
Catholic seminarians were arrested during a religious retreat in
The arrests occurred
the same day as a number of other incidents targeting religious believers. These
included the arrest of over a hundred Protestant house church leaders meeting
for a retreat in
The mass arrest in
The retreat in
Xinjiang was organized by the estimated five-million-strong Anhui-based house
church network,
These measures occur
in the context of a renewed assault on unregistered Christian activity in
August 18, 2004 News from China
We have
received fresh news from
Arrests
of Catholics in
These
measures occur in the context of a crackdown on unregistered Christian activity
in
¨
The ten Catholics arrested in
¨
Those detained in the mass arrest in
Ms Ma Na, the wife of arrested
Pastor Han Quan Shui
Ms Xue Ying, the wife of arrested
Pastor Zheng Wan Shun
Ms Ru Xi Feng
¨
The six arrested in
¨
The five who are detained in A Ke Su prefecture
following the mass arrest in Xinjiang Autonomous Region on July 12th,
namely:
Mr Zhao Xinlan
Ms Li Cuiling
Mr Wang Chaoyi
Mr Yang Tian Lu
Ms Gao Rui'er
¨
Luo Bing Yin, who has been transferred from the
local detention centre to Funan Prison in
Thank you so much for taking the time to write on behalf of these individuals and to maintain them in your prayers. May God bless you as you stand in solidarity with them and 'remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners'.
The following are useful
addresses for lobbying purposes. You do not need to write to all and you can cc
your original letter to other addresses rather than writing a number of letters.
President of the People's
Republic of
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of
Telegram: President Hu Jintao,
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Chinese Ambassador to the
Mr. ZHA Peixin, Ambassador,
Chinese Embassy to the
49-
Fax: 020 7636 2981 / 5578
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Director of the State
Council Bureau of Religious Affairs
YE Xiaowen Juzhang
Guowuyuan Zongjiao Shiwuju
Guowuyuan
22 Xianmen Dajie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of
Telegram: Director of the State Council Bureau of Religious Affairs,
(Salutation: Dear Director)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the People's Republic of
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Salutation: Your Excellency
(Fax is likely to be more effective than e-mail)
Political representatives:
Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name).
Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov
------------------------------
August 10, 2004 Aid worker released after serving sentence for helping North Koreans
Japanese aid worker Takayuki Noguchi has been released by China after serving an 8-month prison sentence for attempting to assist two Japanese-born North Korean refugees.
At about 9pm on August 9, he arrived
in
His mood sobered as he spoke with sorrow of the fate of the North Koreans he had been arrested with. He described how he is haunted by the male refugee's desperate groan of "I'm already dead" when the Chinese police entered their hotel room.
The man was in his 50s and was born
in West Japan, but moved to
Tragically, both refugees were
repatriated. The man's prediction is sadly realistic, as those returned to
Noguchi had been pleading for intervention to secure the protection of the two refugees from repatriation. His sentence arose from his refusal to cooperate with the authorities to secure his own release unless given assurance of their safety.
His case has highlighted, once
again,
At the press conference, Noguchi reiterated his commitment to helping North Koreans deprived of their human rights, stating: "I was deprived of my freedom, and I feel that I have experienced a small part of what they live through."
There are a number of other aid
workers still detained in
CSW had hosted Mr. Kato, the
Secretary General of Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, the NGO Noguchi works
for, on a
Noguchi had been arrested on human
rights day, December 10, 2003, in
NOTES TO EDITORS:
More
information on Life Funds for North Korean Refugees is available at
www.northkoreanrefugees.com, or through contacting the organization at nkkikin@hotmail.com
or on (phone and fax) 81 3 3815 8127.
---------------------------
August
9, 2004 More
than 100 Christians arrested and three others sentenced for exposing persecution
More
than 100 house church leaders were arrested in
In a separate development, three Christians were sentenced to between one and three years for giving information on a public court case against a fellow Christian to a foreign magazine, also on August 6.
The raided meeting of the 100 house church leaders was held at the home of Mrs. Xiang Zi, the wife of one of the retreat organizers. She was arrested along with their three children, aged between eight and eleven years. According to an eyewitness cited by the reporting organization, China Aid Association, the children were crying and greatly distressed as they were dragged away.
Dr
Xu Yonghai, a psychiatrist, and Zhang Shengqi, an internet writer, were active
members of Liu's house church when they were arrested in November 2003 in
CSW
is urging those concerned to raise these cases and the broader crackdown against
unregistered Christians with the Chinese authorities. The injustice against the
three sentenced at
August 5, 2004 Pray for three Christians facing trial in China
Dear Friends,
July 21, 2004 Urgent action for arrested house church leaders
Dear
Friends,
Those
believers who had travelled from outside the province are subject to specific
investigation due to it being illegal to cross a provincial border to hold
religious meetings without the approval of the official Religious Affairs Bureau
and state-controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). The PSB has already
contacted home villages to obtain further information on the religious
activities of those arrested.
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of
Telegram: President Hu Jintao,
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us
@fmprc.gov.cn
YE Xiaowen Juzhang
Guowuyuan Zongjiao Shiwuju
Guowuyuan
22 Xianmen Dajie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of
Telegram: Director of the State Council Bureau of Religious Affairs,
(Salutation: Dear Director)
WEN Jiabao
Guowuyuan,
9 Xihuangchenggenbeijie, Beijingshi 100032,
People's Republic of
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN or 22478 MFERT CN
Telegram: Premier Wen Jiabao,
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Salutation: Your Excellency
(Fax is likely to be more effective than e-mail)
ZHOU Yongkang
Gong'anbu
14 Dongchanganjie
Beijingshi 100741
People's Republic of China
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN
Telegram: Minister of Public Security,
Salutation: Your Excellency
Political representatives:
Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name).
Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov
Mr. Jacques Rogge, President,
Chateau de Vidy, 1007
--------------------------------
July
21, 2004
More than 100 house church leaders were arrested in Xinjiang Autonomous Region in North West China on July 12. More than 200 military police, Public Security Bureau (PSB) and other officers arrived in 46 military and police vehicles. They surrounded the group as they were meeting for a retreat at the Retreat Centre for Railroad Workers in Section 5 of Liu Gong Town, Chang Ji Zhou District in Xinjiang. No warrants or other official documents were shown in making the arrests.
These
mass arrests follow the arrest in
July
16, 2004 China
releases prisoners accused of helping North Koreans - but others remain in
prison
The
1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees states that
individuals must not be returned to their home country if they have a
well-founded fear of persecution. China's ongoing policy of repatriating North
Koreans to face harsh treatment, including torture and execution in some cases,
and her detention of aid workers for providing the protection she is obligated
to ensure, is a grave breach of respect for human rights.
A number of other aid workers are
still in prison. On 22 May 2003 a court in Yantai,
There is particular concern for the
welfare of a North Korean man sentenced on the same occasion. Mr. Park Yong-chol
was given a term of two years imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 RMB ($600).
However, he is afraid of being released from prison in
CSW is asking supporters to convey
their concerns about these injustices to their political representatives and the
Chinese Embassy;
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us
@fmprc.gov.cn
June 25, 2004 Prayer for Japanese aid worker
Dear Friends,
The Japanese aid worker Mr Noguchi, who is detained in China for helping North Koreans, is due to appear in court in Nanning on Monday 28th June. We would be very grateful if you could pray for him. Other aid workers have been sentenced to years of imprisonment for similar activities and we would be grateful if you could pray that he will not suffer a similar punishment.
Please also pray for the two North Koreans who were arrested with him. One is a woman in her 40s who was born in Japan and taken to North Korea by her mother. The other is a man in his 50s who was born in West Japan and moved to North Korea in the early 1960s. Mr Noguchi initially refused to be released over fear of their welfare and we continue to be concerned over their fate.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support.
-----------------------------------
June 15, 2004 Urgent Action on behalf of over 100 arrested church leaders
Dear Friends,
We have just heard from the China Aid Association of a massive arrest of house church leaders in China READ THE STORY BELOW. We would be grateful if you would write to the Chinese authorities to protest against these arrests. In your letter we suggest you do not link the arrests to the secret directive to crack down on 'illegal religious activities' as we are unable to confirm whether or not they are connected.
Thank you
ADDRESSES TO WRITE TO:
The following are useful addresses for lobbying purposes. You do not need to write to all of them and you can copy your original letter to other addresses rather than writing a number of letters.
President of the People's Republic of China
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Telegram: President Hu Jintao, Beijing, China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Chinese Ambassador to the United States
Mr. Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's
Republic of China
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Beijing, China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
(Fax is likely to be more effective than e-mail)
Minister of Justice of the People's Republic
of China
ZHANG Fusen
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6520 5114
(Please forward to the Minister of Justice)
Telegram: Minister of Justice, Beijing, China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
You could also write to your political representatives:
Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name).
Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov
----------------------------------
June 15, 2004 Over 100 Chinese house church leaders arrested in new crackdown
The China Aid Association has learned that more than 100 leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship (CGF) were arrested on June 11, 2004. The arrests took place at Wuhan city, Hubei province (mid east China) while these church leaders were meeting together.
According to a senior house church leader and an eyewitness of the arrests, about 50 police, believed to be from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) of Wuhan City, raided the church meeting at around 2pm and arrested all of the participants, including one of the senior CGF leaders, Mr. Xing Jinfu.
Mr. Xing, 39, has been arrested at least three times before for his church activities. He was sentenced to three years reeducation through labor in 1996 for his 'illegal preaching'. The whereabouts of those arrested are still unknown. On the same day, according to a reliable source known to the China Aid Association, the well-known leader of the CGF, Pastor Shen Xianfeng, was put under house arrest in a residential area of Wuhan city after the PSB thoroughly searched the house where Mr. Shen was recovering from leg injuries. The CGF was established in the mid-1980s and is one of the five major Chinese house church groups with an estimated membership of at least five million. The China Aid Association also learned from an internal source in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that its Politburo had recently convened a special secret meeting discussing 'How to deal with religious affairs in China'. According to the source, a secret directive was issued after the meeting, calling on every level of the Chinese government and the Party to crack down on 'illegal religious activities'. The directive also urged the CCP's Department of Propaganda to carry out a special media campaign to promote atheism. Bob Fu, president of the China Aid Association, said: "Given the recent massive arrests of unregistered religious leaders in different areas in China, the international community should be alarmed and take concrete actions to urge the Chinese government to fulfill her signed pledge to protect her citizens' religious freedom mandated by relevant international human rights covenants." Christian Solidarity Worldwide joins with the China Aid Association in urging the Chinese authorities to release these arrested church leaders immediately. CSW is also asking its supporters to write to the Chinese authorities to petition for their release. For more information, please visit the China Aid Association website at www.chinaaid.org , email bobfu@chinaaid.org or call (267) 205 5210.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Chinese authorities consistently persecute those with religious beliefs such as the Falun Gong, Buddhists, Christian house churches, and all those who do not belong to state-sponsored churches.
----------------------------------
April 21, 2004 Tortured Chinese pastor pleads for prison transfer before he is killed
Chinese Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church has begged to be transferred from his current prison, telling his sisters "If you are able in any way, please transfer me to another prison - otherwise just come and pick up my corpse."
He made this plea during his sisters' ten minute visit to Hongshan Prison, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, where he is currently being held.
The report has emerged through China Aid Association, whose sources said Gong was unable to walk into the visiting hall and had to be carried in by four other inmates. One of the sisters asked the guard for an explanation and was told that he fell washing windows. The guard said he was washing windows inside the prison, but that he fell outside the building.
When Gong was asked about the injury he looked at the guard and then replied reluctantly "Yes, I fell". He is accompanied everywhere he goes by two guards, making the account of his falling from a window even less credible.
When one of the sisters complained to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, about Gong's injuries, the director told her that Gong is a model prisoner in all ways but one, namely that he refuses to denounce his Christian faith and will not stop praying and preaching.
His sisters, who could only speak to him via a telephone as they were separated by two layers of glass, also asked why he did not write letters anymore. He replied "I don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen there are lots of troubles."
CSW has asked supporters to urgently write to and fax the Chinese authorities in order to urge his transfer and improved treatment. CSW has also been lobbying at the UN Commission on Human Rights on his case.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Pastor Gong, leader of the South China Church, was sentenced to death at the end of 2001. However, following an international outcry, his case was reviewed and he is now serving a sentence of 'life in prison'. He has been held in Jingzhou Prison in Hubei Province, central China, since December 2002. Many of his fellow church leaders are also serving lengthy sentences.
Torture and sexual abuse were used by officers to extract confessions and evidence. In June 2003 Pastor Gong was beaten into a coma in Jingzhou Prison, China. He suffered severe internal injuries and was bed bound for weeks.
His family and fellow church leaders issued a message which said: "The prison authority brainwashes him every day, forcing him to give up his faith and plead guilty...In addition, the prison authority keeps pressing Pastor Gong both psychologically and spiritually. No one is allowed to contact him and talk to him...By this they attempt to destroy Pastor Gong's faith and will...For almost two years since he was arrested, his mind and body have suffered serious hurt. We feel regrettable over what the prison authority has done to him and deeply worried about the mistreatment Pastor Gong has gone through."
The Chinese authorities consistently persecute religious groups which do not belong to state-sponsored religious organizations.
---------------------------------
April 20, 2004 Urgent action for Pastor Gong
Dear Friends,
We are sad to report that we have received very disturbing news from China. Pastor Gong has been imprisoned for his faith since 2001 and has now begged to be transferred from his prison, with the words 'otherwise just come and pick up my corpse'. We would be most grateful if you could use your voice to speak out about this dire situation. Below are details of individuals, followed by their addresses, to whom you can write letters to voice your concern. There is also an address to write directly to Pastor Gong in prison.
Thank you so much for your time and concern in responding to these appeals.
Best wishes in Christ
---------------------
CHINESE PASTOR GONG: SECURE MY TRANSFER OR 'JUST COME AND PICK UP MY CORPSE'
Chinese Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church has begged to be transferred from his current prison, telling his sisters 'If you are able in any way, please transfer me to another prison - otherwise just come and pick up my corpse.'
The exchange occurred during a ten minute visit to Hongshan Prison, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, where he is currently being held.
The report has emerged through the China Aid Association, whose sources said that Gong was unable to walk into the visiting hall and had to be carried in by four other inmates. One of the sisters asked the guard for an explanation and was told that he fell washing windows. The guard said he was washing windows inside the prison, but that he fell outside the building. When Gong was asked about the injury he looked at the guard and then replied reluctantly 'Yes, I fell'. He is accompanied everywhere he goes by two guards, making the account of his falling from a window even less credible.
When one of the sisters complained to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, about Gong's injuries, the director told her that Gong is a model prisoner in all ways but one, namely that he refuses to denounce his Christian faith and will not stop praying and preaching. She said 'he has lost touch with reality'.
His sisters, who could only speak to him via a telephone as they were separated by two layers of glass, also asked why he did not write letters anymore. He replied 'I don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen there are lots of troubles.'
We would be very grateful if you could raise concern for Pastor Gong as a matter of grave urgency, seeking proper treatment for him and immediate transfer to another prison.
ADDRESSES
The following are useful addresses for lobbying purposes. You do not need to write to all of them and you can cc your original letter to other addresses rather than writing a number of letters.
President of the People's Republic of China
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Telegram: President Hu Jintao, Beijing, China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Chinese Ambassador to the United
STates
Mr. Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's
Republic of China
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Beijing, China
Salutation: Your Excellency
(Fax is likely to be more effective than e-mail)
Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of
China
ZHANG Fusen
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6520 5114
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN or 22478 MFERT CN
(Please forward to the Minister of Justice)
Telegram: Minister of Justice, Beijing, China
Salutation: Your Excellency
Director of the State Council Bureau of Religious
Affairs
YE Xiaowen Juzhang
Guowuyuan Zongjiao Shiwuju
Guowuyuan
22 Xianmen Dajie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Telegram: Director of the State Council Bureau of Religious Affairs, Beijing,
China
(Salutation: Dear Director)
Premier of the People's Republic of China
WEN Jiabao
Guowuyuan,
9 Xihuangchenggenbeijie, Beijingshi 100032,
People's Republic of China
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN or 22478 MFERT CN
Telegram: Premier Wen Jiabao, Beijing, China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
You could also write to your political representatives:
Write
to your Senator
at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. (Call
the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your
Congressperson’s name). Ask your Congressperson to raise your concerns with
both the Congress and Secretary of State Colin Powell, and to additionally raise
this in appropriate international forums.
Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov
(Salutation: Dear Mr / Ms / Mrs)
In addition you could write a letter of
encouragement to Pastor Gong:
Pastor Gong Shengliang
Prison Section, Four Te Yi Hao
Hongshan Prison
Miaoshan Development Zone
Jiangxia District
Wuhan City
Hubei Province
People's Republic of China 430223
If you are able to get your letter translated into Chinese, please do so. However, even letters from overseas in English will be an encouragement and may positively affect his conditions.
-----------------------------------
April 15, 2004 UN fails to criticize China's rights record despite compelling testimony
The United Nations today failed to censure China for its grave human rights record. Despite clear evidence of serious violations, the 53 state member body failed to pass a US-proposed resolution on China. Instead China used its political weight to bring a 'no action motion' to block consideration of the resolution. This is despite compelling evidence presented at the Commission by human rights activists and survivors of abuse.
CSW's International Advocate facilitated a meeting to enable representatives of the persecuted church in China to draw attention to the very serious abuses suffered by Christian believers.
Amongst the speakers was Peter Xu Yongze, who is referred to as the Billy Graham of China and is the founder of one of the largest Christian groups in China, numbering many millions. Recounting some of his own experiences from his seven years in detention, on five separate occasions, he painted a vivid picture of the cruelty that can be meted out to Christians simply for following and sharing their faith. Amongst the tortures he experienced, he described how he had been forced to hang in a crucifix position for hours in excruciating agony.
Despite the severity of the mistreatment, he expressed the attitude of the church towards the Chinese authorities as one of forgiveness. When he was taken down and brought back into the interrogation room to confess, his only response to their torture and interrogation was to say 'Thank you'. While hanging there, he expressed his gratitude to God. His thoughts were that he might die and would have the unspeakable joy of being united with Jesus. He also expressed how he felt the closeness of God's love as he felt something of the agony of the cross and realized more clearly the love of Jesus that led him to willingly suffer such agony for mankind.
He concluded that: 'Christians in China desire to live respectful and law-abiding lives. Christians have been recognized as being a force for social stability and respect for the law. Yet they continue to be persecuted for simply adhering to their faith according to their consciences. We do not seek confrontation and we are patriotic to our nation. All we ask is to be able to practice our faith freely.'
His compelling presentation was complemented by detailed accounts of the situation of Christians currently in detention, presented by Bob Fu, a former Beijing pastor who is now President of the China Aid Association. Amongst the many concerns he highlighted was the situation of the South China Church. He stated that in the last ten years, 8,903 believers have been arrested and detained and at least three have been tortured to death. He went on to present video testimony of women who had been tortured and sexually abused to force them to give evidence against Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church. He also showed footage of the destruction of churches in China.
In addition, he presented new documentary evidence of an official strategy to repress the unregistered Church. The document was issued in November 2003 by the Religious Affairs Bureau of Qingdao City, Shandong Province and provides evidence of an intensified campaign against unregistered Christian believers and churches. It speaks of brainwashing and states: 'Those who are deeply affected by self-proclaimed preachers, oppose patriotic religious bodies and defy the government's administration shall be 'educated' and 'transformed' through compulsory study of the government's religious policy and regulations.'
Ben Rogers of Christian Solidarity Worldwide presented a speech on the harsh repression of the underground Catholic Roman Church, on behalf of Joseph Kung of the Cardinal Kung Foundation.
Alongside these presentations, Harry Wu, veteran human rights campaigner and former prisoner of 19 years, who is denounced as China's 'No. 1 troublemaker', presented further evidence of repression and state policy towards Catholics and other religious believers.
------------------------------------
February 20, 2004 Prayer request for China
RESTRICTED - May be circulated to other prayer networks /supporters and can
be mentioned in larger church meetings.
We would be grateful if you could pray for a very difficult situation in China. The Chinese authorities have arrested 50 house church leaders in a
new crackdown.
The crackdown began during China's national Religious Working Conference at which top leaders of the Religious Affairs Bureau and United Front Work
Department met together. A four hour digital video was screened during the meeting entitled 'The Cross: Jesus in China' and a briefing was given about
the book 'Jesus in Beijing' by former TIME journalist David Aikman. The video and book document the phenomenal growth of China's house churches. The
film has been classified as political matter.
It has been reported that the crackdown will pursue those mentioned in the film and the book and that the repression could be very brutal, along the
lines of the repression of the Falun Gong.
In January police arrested three prominent house church leaders Deborah Xu Yongling, 58, Qiao Chunling, 41, and Zeng Guangbo, 35. Guangbo managed to
escape and is in hiding.
The Chinese Christians have made the following prayer requests
- Please continue to pray for the arrested Chinese Christian leaders, that they will receive strength and encouragement from the Lord in these
circumstances and will be bold witnesses of the love of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for protection for those Christians who are hiding from the authorities, that they will be safe in the hands of God, whatever happens.
- Pray for the Chinese authorities, as they have not realized who they are dealing with, the Creator of heaven and earth, the risen Saviour and the
head of His church. Pray that God will be merciful on them and forgive their sins, as He has forgiven ours. We join in with the Chinese church who pray
for the salvation of their government.
Thank you so much for your support.
God bless you as you stand in the gap for our persecuted brothers and sisters in China.
-------------------------
January 15, 2004 URGENT
ACTION: China Arrests North Koreans and Aid Workers
Dear Friends,
We are disappointed to have to report a number of serious fresh concerns regarding the situation of North Koreans and those helping them in China.
On 13th January the Japanese humanitarian organization Life Funds for North Korean Refugees revealed that one of its members,
Mr. Takayuki Noguchi, is being held in Nanning Prison in Guangxi in China. He was taken into custody
on December 13th, but discreet negotiations to secure his release over the last month have proved fruitless.
Two North Koreans were arrested with Mr. Noguchi. One is a woman in her 40s who was born in Tokai Region, Japan and taken to North Korea by her mother.
The other is a man in his 50s who was born in West Japan and moved to North Korea in the early 1960s.
Mr. Noguchi has been anxiously pleading for intervention to secure the protection of the two refugees from repatriation.
It was confirmed that they were indeed still in China on 12th January. This unusual situation provides encouragement that they could be deported to a
safe third country rather than repatriated to face severe penalties in North Korea.
Immediately after the press conference a spokesman for the Chinese Government publicly stated that the investigation is ongoing and that
Mr. Noguchi could be subject to a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment.
The severity of this potential sentence is supported by recent disturbing developments.
You may be aware from our earlier appeals that China has been holding two aid workers without sentence for over a year. We are sad to report that in
December both men were given harsh sentences, even exceeding the sentences given to those involved with the boat escapees.
Rev Choi Bong-il was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and Mr. Kim Hee-tae to seven years. These sentences are both shocking and deeply unjust as both
men were simply trying to help meet the humanitarian needs of North Koreans.
We would be most grateful if you could take up these concerns with the Chinese authorities, urging that all those held for providing humanitarian
assistance be released and that the North Koreans be given safe passage to a third country and not repatriated.
A draft letter is provided below. Where possible it would be appreciated if you could adapt the language to make the letter individual.
Thank you for your support and help. We greatly appreciate your solidarity and compassion for those who are treated so unjustly.
_____________________
SAMPLE LETTER
Your Excellency
I am writing to express my concern about the news of fresh activities targeting North Koreans and those seeking to help them in China.
I have recently learnt of the arrest of Mr. Takayuki Noguchi, aged 32, a member of the Japanese humanitarian
organization Life Funds for North Korean Refugees (LFNKR) and two North Koreans on December13,
2003. I understand that Mr. Noguchi is being held at Nanning Prison in Guangxi.
I am particularly concerned regarding the two North Koreans. As you are aware there is widespread concern over the fate of those repatriated to
North Korea, especially those who have been caught attempting to leave China. There is consistent and convincing evidence of systematic persecution
of such persons and it is clear that they should under no circumstances be repatriated. You will of course be aware that international law, including
the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its protocol, to which China is a party, strictly forbids returning those outside their
country to face persecution. I welcome the positive steps that China has taken in specific high-profile cases to avoid such repatriation and allow
refugees to travel to safe third countries. I would strongly urge and encourage you to ensure such protection in this case, in order to avoid
unwanted suffering to the individuals and discredit to China.
I am disturbed that a spokesman for the Chinese Government responded to a press conference held by Life Funds for North Korean Refugees with the
statement that Mr. Noguchi could be sentenced to as much as ten years imprisonment. This is highly disturbing as
Mr. Noguchi has done nothing wrong, but has rather been seeking to secure the basic humanitarian
protection to North Koreans which China is internationally bound to provide. It seems ironic that those meeting the requirements of international law are
being sentenced by the party that has voluntarily bound itself to such obligations.
In this context I must raise my deepest concern about the recent sentences passed on two other innocent aid workers. I am shocked to learn that Rev
Choi Bong-il has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment and Mr. Kim Hee-tae to seven years imprisonment. Again I am deeply concerned about these
sentences in the context of China's obligations under international law. It must be stressed that respect for international agreements is the only
foundation upon which relations between states can move forward. Such striking breaches of both law and humanitarian principle can only prejudice
the respect and co-operation which China can expect from the international community.
Nevertheless, I do hope to see relations improve between our nations and I trust that a satisfactory outcome can be achieved in these cases, which
will
satisfy international justice and ensure the safety and release of all those mentioned.
I appreciate your attention to these concerns and I look forward to receiving your response regarding these matters.
Yours respectfully and sincerely,
_____________________
ADDRESSES
* Please address your letters / telegrams / telexes to the President and Justice Minister
Mr. HU Jintao
President of the People's Republic of China
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Telegram: President Hu Jintao, Beijing, China
Mr. ZHANG Fusen
Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN or 22478 MFERT CN
(Please forward to the Minister of Justice)
Telegram: Minister of Justice, Beijing, China
* If you are able to e-mail, call or fax, please use the following details:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
* In addition you could write or copy letters to:
China Ambassador to the U.S.
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn
(Salutation: Your Excellency)
Member of US Congress
For
Senators and Representatives:
Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to find out your
Congressperson's name
Senators: Write
to your Senator at US Senate, Washington, DC 20510
Representatives: Write to your
Representative at US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
(Salutation: Dear Mr. / Mrs.)
------------------------------------
June 11, 2003 Urgent
Appeal For Chinese Pastor Gong
We ask you to urgently pray and advocate on behalf of Chinese Pastor Gong Shengliang, who is reported to be dying in Jingzhou Prison.
As you may remember, Pastor Gong, the leader of the South China Church, was sentenced to death at the end of December 2001. However, following an
international outcry his sentence was reviewed and he is now under sentence of "life in prison". Many of his fellow church leaders are also serving
lengthy sentences. Pastor Gong has now been beaten and severely wounded by the prison officers.
He has serious internal injuries and is passing blood in both his stools and urine. He has been severely ill and bed-bound for the last two weeks and
slipped into a coma for several days. The family was last allowed to visit on
April 14, and have not been allowed to visit subsequently on the pretext of the anti-SARS campaign.
The family and South China Church leaders have issued a message reporting the severe deterioration and abuse that Pastor Gong is experiencing. They
quote an official who says that if they expect to see Pastor Gong alive they had better do something immediately. The message from the family and church
members is provided below, as it was received today. We would be very grateful if you could pray for Pastor Gong and make an
urgent intervention on his behalf. Addresses are given below.
The following is the message signed by family members and church leaders:
It is learned recently from a very reliable source in Jingzhou Prison of Hubei Province that Pastor Gong Shengliang, the founder of the evangelical
South China Church was beaten and seriously wounded by the prison police. His innards are gravely hurt. Blood can be found in both his stool and
urine. And one of his ears loses acute hearing. For over half a month, Pastor Gong has kept the bed and been at his last
breath. He was even in a coma several days. However, nobody pays attention to him and makes any inquiry.
The well-informed sources are quoted as saying, if you expect Mr. Gong to be alive, you shall do something immediately. Otherwise, the sequent is hard
to imagine. Since Pastor Gong was put into Jingzhou Prison in December 2002, he has been under close surveillance.
Each day there are over three people who watch his words and deeds, including getting up, eating, and using restroom and conversations.
Everything concerning him will be recorded. The prison authority brainwashes him everyday, forcing him to give up his faith and plead guilty.
He is ordered to report his thought and confession on daily basis. Whereas Pastor Gong adheres to his faith, the prison authority consistently reports
to the upper level authority that Pastor Gong refuses to admit his 'wrongdoings' and wants to appeal to the superior court. Therefore, even the
Communist Party Committee of Hubei Province sends cadres to brainwash him. In addition, the prison authority keeps pressing Pastor Gong both
psychologically and spiritually. No one is allowed to contact him and talk to him. The violator is subject to severe punishment. By this they attempt
to destroy Pastor Gong's faith and will. Pastor Gong used to have stomach disease. He can no longer endure any outside stimulation. For almost two
years since he was arrested, his mind and body have suffered serious hurt. His eyebrow, beard and hair are all hoary. And his complexion turns blue.
The news astonishes us. We feel regrettable over what the prison authority has done to Brother Gong and deeply worried about the mistreatment that
Pastor Gong has gone through.
SHUQIN GONG, SHUZHEN GONG AND 32 NAMES OF GONG'S
FAMILY MEMBERS, RELATIVES AND CHURCH LEADERS
China Ambassador to the U.S.
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 328-2500
Fax: (202) 588-0032
Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn
President of the Peoples Republic of China
HU Jintao
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
Peoples Republic of China
Telegram: President Hu Jintao, Beijing, China
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
LI Zhaoxing
Waijiaobu
2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Beijingshi 100701
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1114
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 1109 / 2660
E-mail: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn <mailto:webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn>
Telegram: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Beijing, China
Salutation: Your Excellency
(Fax is likely to be more effective than e-mail)
Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China
ZHANG Fusen
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6520 5114
Telexes: 210070 FMPRC CN or 22478 MFERT CN
(Please forward to the Minister of Justice)
Telegram: Minister of Justice, Beijing, China
Salutation: Your Excellency
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
October 9, 2002 Hasty
Retrial of 17 Convicted
*** SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST ***
This news has just come through.
"A Chinese court has thrown out the criminal conviction of 17 members of the unregistered South
China Church. The Supreme Court of Hubei Province has ordered a new trial for the Christians, including
Pastor Gong Shengliang and journalist Li Ying. Both are among five SCC members sentenced to death for
their involvement in illegal church activities. Twelve others received sentences ranging from two years to
life. The court said the procedures in the civil trial that led to convictions were illegal. The court
has sent the case back to the Jingmen City intermediate People's Court for retrial on October
9th, 2002."
The defense has had only one day to prepare.
Please pray for justice.
Courtesy of: Korean Peninsular Peace Project
----------------------------------
June 20, 2002
CHINESE CHURCH LEADERS FREED AFTER BEING ABDUCTED
Leaders from a mainstream house church in China have been released after being abducted.
The 34 senior leaders from the China Gospel Fellowship were abducted on April 16 by a group called Eastern Lightning (EL), which uses violence
against church members.
A spokesperson from the China Gospel Fellowship (CGF) commented: "All of the kidnapped coworkers have been gradually released. However a few of them are
not doing well physically because of the drugs given to them.
"Although they were tempted, enticed and threatened in every way, they have been able to hold onto their faith in the Lord, to overcome the temptations
and to refuse the heresies of the female Christ.
"In spite of such an attack on us, the church as a whole has not suffered any loss, with God's sustaining and the work of all coworkers.
"We want to express our thankfulness to God that with His sustaining, with many overseas brothers' and sisters' fervent prayers and intercessions and
tears before God."
EL was founded in 1989 by Zhao Wei Shan in Heilongjiang Province and claims that Jesus has already returned to earth as a Chinese woman called Deng from
Henan Province.
The group teaches its followers to abandon their families and jobs. It exerts control over its followers by using drugs and sexual entrapment.
Absolute obedience is demanded and those who oppose the group are punished with beatings, bribery, kidnap and murder.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: "We praise God for the fantastic news of these leaders' release. Given the
past experiences of those kidnapped by the Eastern Lightning, it is amazing that they have all been released and are safe.
"We continue to uphold them in our prayers as they are reunited with their families and recover from their terrifying ordeal."
View the reports from the China Gospel Fellowship at www.chinaforjesus.com
-----------------------------------
June 19 2002
Good News: CGF Members Released
We are delighted to tell you that we have received a report today that all the leaders from the China Gospel Fellowship who were kidnapped in April by
Eastern Lightning have been released. Praise God. Given the past treatment of Christians kidnapped by the group, it is a miracle that all have been
released and are safe. They are very thankful for the prayers of all the Christians around the world who have prayed for them. Thank you for your
compassionate and committed response to this situation. We praise God that he has heard our prayers and moved so powerfully.
We would be grateful if you could continue to uphold the members in your prayers. The ordeal was obviously very harrowing for them and they are now
recovering physically, emotionally and spiritually.
We would also be grateful if you could pray for Chun Ki Won in China. You may remember that he was arrested with three others for helping North
Koreans reach safety. He has been detained for five and a half months in China and his case is due to come before the Chinese courts in the next day
or so. It is very much hoped that he will not be sentenced, but rather deported. We do covet your prayers for a good outcome for him and his
co-defendant, Mr Kim Qi Lyung. Mr Kim is a Chinese citizen so may face other difficulties. We praise God that the two men arrested with them, Mr Oh and
Mr Jung have already been able to reach freedom and are back in South Korea.
We deeply appreciate your concern and your prayerful support for our brothers and sisters facing these trials. It is a great encouragement to
know that we can immediately raise the prayer support that they so desperately seek.
-------------------------------------------
April 30, 2002 Christian Leaders Feared Abducted By Cult in China
Leaders from one of the main evangelical groups in China, the
China Gospel Fellowship (CGF), are missing, feared kidnapped by a cult.
The CGF leaders appear to have been abducted on April 19 by a
group called Lightning from the East, which has a history of violence against members of
house churches. Around 30 leaders are believed to have been kidnapped, although there
are reports of a further 70 missing.
It is believed that Lightning from the East tricked the CGF leaders by posing as members of a Bible institute from
Singapore offering intensive Bible training. However, it is reported that when the leaders arrived at the six scheduled
locations they were forced to give up their mobile phones and were held captive.
One girl managed to escape, when she asked to go to the toilet. According to one report, Lightning from the East then went
to her home and beat up her parents.
The girl had not gone home, but had headed for a place of safety where she managed to relay the story, contradicting
earlier assessments that the leaders had been arrested by the police.
Among those captured are Shen Yiping and his nephew Shen Xianfeng who walks with crutches. Both have been targeted in
the past by the police, and Shen Xianfeng has even been beaten by the police with his own crutches.
The Public Security Bureau has recently been cracking down on groups that it deems to be cults. Documents recently smuggled
out of China show the government’s planned intimidation against unregistered religious bodies.
Lightning from the East poses a serious threat to Christianity in
China. The cult claims that Jesus has already returned to earth as a Chinese woman called Lightning.
If people do not believe voluntarily, the cult uses various methods to coerce them, including bullying tactics, violence,
bribes and extortion. Believers have had limbs broken, been drugged and placed in positions of compromise and offered
large sums of money in efforts to make them leave the Church.
CSW is encouraging prayer and concern to be raised for the missing church members.
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: “This is an extremely worrying development
and we have real fears for those who have disappeared.
“We do hope that this case will be speedily resolved and the
CGF members quickly freed. Our prayers are with them and their families.”
---------------------------------
March 14, 2002 North Korean Refugees Seek Protection in Spanish Embassy in Beijing and Threaten Suicide if Deported
UPDATE 3/2002: The refugees are now in South Korea
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for help on behalf of 25
terrified North Koreans who entered the Spanish Embassy in Beijing this morning claiming
asylum.
The group pushed their way past the Chinese guards outside the
embassy at 9.50am (01.50 GMT) and issued a statement expressing their desperation and certainty of terrible
punishment if returned to North Korea.
This statement, addressed ‘To Any and All Who Will Listen’,
reads: “Today we stand before you, 25 North Korean refugees, driven together by danger and desperation. We are six families
and two orphan girls, 8 of which are children.
“All 25 of us seek, above all else, to apply for refugee status.
However, the current practice of the Chinese local authorities to carry out unconditional and forced repatriation of North Korean
defectors and the subsequent persecution by the state in North Korea has forced us to seek help from the international
community. For this purpose, we have entered your office for your protection until refugee status is granted to all of us.
“Many of us find it necessary to conceal our identities for fear of
dangerous repercussions to our loved ones who remain in North Korea...
“At separate times in 2001 we defected from North Korea in search of food and freedom from oppression. Most of us were
caught by Chinese security officials and were then subjected to forced deportation to North Korea. After repatriation, we endured
months of detention in North Korea that can only be described as atrocious. As time went on, each of us seized the first
opportunity to escape to China again. At present we have come from several different locations in China with the help of
foreigners. We wholeheartedly thank them for their vital humanitarian help to our plight.
“If we are to be forcefully repatriated to North Korea by the
Chinese government yet again, without doubt, our lives will be in the greatest possible jeopardy. Moreover, there is no doubt in
our minds that our freedoms in North Korea will be denied in the light of the record of our earlier defections and this current
attempt to go to South Korea. Yet we believe we are fully within our rights under universally accepted international law...
“We are now at the point of such desperation and live in such
fear of persecution within North Korea that we have come to the decision to risk our lives for freedom rather than passively await
our doom. Some of us carry poison on our person to commit suicide if the Chinese authorities should chose once again to
send us back to North Korea.
“The only power we have left is to appeal to you on our knees
and with tears.”
This case highlights the terrible plight of North Koreans who face
hunger and repression in their home country or fear and abuse in China, where the state refuses to
recognize them as refugees.
CSW is deeply disturbed by China’s refusal to allow the UNHCR
to access asylum seekers and its policy of repatriating North Koreans. CSW has received numerous first-hand accounts of
North Koreans who have been repatriated and faced terrible penalties for the simple act of leaving their country.
CSW is calling for the protection of the asylum seekers, for their
safe passage to South Korea and for a change in the policy towards North Koreans. CSW is urging China, the UNHCR and
Spain to ensure that the 25 are not repatriated to North Korea and that they reach safety quickly.
CSW-UK’s National Director Stuart Windsor said: “It is terrible that those who have endured such horrific suffering in one of the
most closed and oppressive countries in the world, should not even find refuge when they risk their lives to escape.
“This terrible situation has been going on unchecked for far too
long. The international community has a duty to protect these immensely vulnerable people and ensure a refuge for those who
are desperate enough to risk death for their freedom. If we continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors of North Korea and
the deprivations of those who try to escape, history will condemn us for our appalling inhumanity to our fellow man.”
------------------------------
February 12, 2002 Official Chinese
Documents Provide Evidence of Religious Persecution
(contact CSW for full document)
Important official documents revealing centralized
coordinated plans to crack down on and eliminate specific religious groups have been disclosed.
The documents were obtained at considerable risk and come from
a number of officials from both the Ministry of State Security and various public security
organizations. The sources of the documentation were all aggrieved by the duplicity of the
government's simultaneous assertions of legal protection of religious freedom and secret orders to persecute religious
groups.
The Committee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China, which obtained the documents, reports how sources were
disturbed by their superiors' knowledge that the orders resulted in serious physical and psychological abuses.
One of the documents issued by the Ministry of Public Security,
entitled 'Notice on Various Issues Regarding Identifying and Banning of Cultic Organizations' lists 14 groups identified as
cults. Some of the doctrines condemned as heresies in the document are beliefs widely held by Christians around the world,
such as praying for healing. The Shouters and the All Sphere Church (founded by Xu Yongze) are listed as cults, with
reference also made to the South China Church. The head of the South China Church, Gong Sheng Liang has been sentenced
to death, along with four other leaders of the group.
The South China Church is the focus of a top secret 'Document for the General Squad of Domestic Security and
Defense of Beijing Bureau of Public Security', which requires all efforts to be taken to arrest Gong and track down information on the
group. A list of ten key wanted members of the group is given.
Throughout the documents there is a failure to recognize the distinction which Christians make between the spiritual and
temporal. This is reminiscent of the way in which the authorities of the day treated Jesus. In the document on the South China
Church, Gong is given as having 'advocated "the evangelization of whole nation, the Christianization of culture, and the
kingdomization of the church." He also cried out to the believers to "put on the armor given by the Lord, fight a bloody battle with
the devil (referring to the government) till the end, destroy Satan's (referring to the Communist Party) kingdom, and
establish the everlasting Kingdom of God. (Bracketed text inserted by government.)'
A further document, written by a Christian, reports the investigation of the case of Ms Li Bao-zhi and other members of
a Christian group who were tortured and sent to re-education through labor for holding a Christian meeting. During the
hearing in the Intermediate People's Court in Liao Ning Province, it was stated that it was not possible to produce the
relevant legal documentation because the case had been dealt with in accordance with the classified document issued from the
Ministry of the State Public Security. The court heard from a witness: 'After we were arrested we were locked in different
rooms on the 8th floor, the Religious Section of the Public Security Bureau. They tortured us. We can constantly hear loud
cries from those rooms'. Under questioning, the witness specified that the cries were 'Howls under torture'.
Li Bao-zhi herself describes, in an interview, how she and her
fellow believers were beaten and threatened. 'On November 11, 2001, I was arrested in the middle of a gathering, and
locked in the Religious Section on the 8th floor. Five persons were put in different rooms. On that night I heard Hou
Rong-shan, Sun De-xiang crying loud, accompanied with the electric buzz of the baton. Another two sisters were beaten
badly, one of them, sister Zhang Ya-ru had been delivered to hospital for emergency treatment, after that she was brought
back to the Public Security Bureau again. And sister Niu Zhong-fang ... They cuffed her hands to the heating tube, and
bound her feet together. More horrible thing is, those police sat on her, hitting her above the waist and her sole with electric
baton. They tortured her far into the night, then they tied up her shoulder and hands tight with thin rope, beat her till blood
gushed from her mouth. They forced her to confess that she had said something like 'the big church cannot be saved', and
we cried and danced in the gatherings. Sister Niu refused to confess, that's why she was tortured so!'
Stuart Windsor, National Director of CSW-UK, comments: 'These documents give concrete proof of the intense campaign
against religious movements in China. That individuals should be singled out for brutal treatment for their religious beliefs is a
disgrace in this age. The classification of groups as cults, with the immensely aggravated penalties accompanied by such a
categorization, is a grossly misused and misguided strategy, resulting in great travesties of justice. The state, especially an
atheist state, is not qualified to make theological judgments on orthodoxy of doctrine. The activities revealed in this
documentation show China in serious breach of international law. In addition to breaches of freedom from torture and
freedom of religion, China's action is contrary to the UN's specific direction that national security is not a ground for
limiting the right to religious freedom. If China wishes to be regarded as a respectable international player, she must
urgently reform her laws and policies in accordance with her voluntarily accepted international obligations. Until this is done,
the international community has both practical and moral reason not to trust China as a credible and reliable international
partner.'
-------------------------------------------
Mar 22, 2002 Backlash on North Koreans Because of Asylum-Seekers' Bid for Freedom
Dear Friends,
We are sorry to have to let you know that there has been a disappointing backlash on the North Koreans hiding in China as a result of the freedom bid
of the 25 North Koreans who sought asylum in the Spanish Embassy in Beijing.
The Chinese and North Korean authorities have now begun an intense crackdown in the border area, targeting North Koreans, South Korean NGOs and Christian
groups. Local officials have said that this is in defiance of the international community.
We have been asked by a number of contacts to raise this with the Chinese authorities. We would be grateful if you could add your voice to express
concern about this situation.
We would be very grateful if you could write to your Congressperson, by fax or e-mail, and urge him or her to raise this with the
American and Chinese authorities. You can find out the name of your
Congressperson by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A suggested letter
to the Chinese authorities is attached. You could provide your Congressperson with the following addresses and you may also wish to write directly to the
Chinese authorities yourself.
Chinese Foreign Ministry
Tang Jiaxuan
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Chaoyangmenneidajie
Dongsi,
Beijing 100701
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1109/14
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 2660
Email: webmaster@fmprc.gov.cn
Suggested letter:
Your Excellency,
May I commend you for the good outcome of the case of the twenty five North Koreans who sought asylum in the Spanish Embassy in Beijing. I am glad that
their expressions of terror at being returned to North Korea were taken seriously and that they could reach freedom and safety. This is particularly
welcome in light of the protection that the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees provides for such people who are afraid to return to
their country due to a well founded fear of persecution.
I am deeply troubled to hear that there has been a backlash as a result of this case, with a severe crackdown on North Koreans and groups working with
them in China. I am concerned about the welfare both of the missing NGO workers and the targeting of North Koreans. It is also surprising that
actions have been taken against South Korean and Christian groups when these were not the groups involved in the embassy case. The actions against the
North Koreans are highly disturbing in light of the well-documented terrible persecution of North Koreans who have been repatriated to North Korea.
Punishments include execution, imprisonment and torture, clearly amounting to severe persecution and grave breaches of international standards.
I am concerned that China's position that North Koreans are not genuine refugees is untenable while China denies continues to deny access by the
UNHCR. I would urge you to re-consider China's stance on this issue, and to allow access by the UNHCR, to accept applications for refugee status and
process them in accordance with China's obligations under the refugee convention.
I am aware that China has stated that she resists such expressions of concern by the international community. However, as you will be aware, these
are issues that lie at the core of international relations. Whilst I am keen to see the greater integration of China in international affairs, the
strength of feeling that such issues engenders poses a very serious obstacle to greater engagement.
As you will be aware there is considerable public opinion that China should not be granted privileges, including those such as hosting the Olympic
Games, while she continues to disrespect international rules, including those she has voluntarily committed herself to. I hope that you will bear
this in mind in considering how to proceed in dealing with this situation, which is set to attract increasing attention across the world.
Yours respectfully and sincerely,
-------------------------------
January 17 2002 Two
Founders of South China Church on Death Row for Church Activities
Two founding members of the South China Church have been sentenced to death following a secret trial.
Gong Sheng Liang, 46, and his niece Li Ying, 36, were sentenced after a secret trial held on December 18 2001 at the Jing Men Court in Hubei
Province.
Gong was sentenced to death for 'using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement', causing bodily harm with intent, and rape, according to
reports from the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy (ICHRD).
Li Ying was also given a death sentence, suspended for two years, for 'using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement' and causing bodily harm with
intent.
A further 15 members of the group were also sentenced, including another founding member, Ms Sun Ming Hua, who was sentenced to indefinite
imprisonment.
According to reports, Gong's female co-workers were arrested and mutilated by the Public Security Bureau to make it look like they had been raped, then
forced to make false confessions.
The rape charge follows a pattern which has been used against other alleged cult leaders who have been sentenced to death, including Supreme Spirit Sect
leader Liu Jia Guo and leader of the Established King Sect, Wu Yung Ming, sentenced to death in 1999 and 1995 respectively.
The difference in Gong's case is that the South China Church is more widely regarded as a mainstream Christian group and that details of the allegations
have not been given in public.
The South China Church was founded in 1991 when Gong, who was imprisoned between 1983 and 1986, left the Born Again Movement. The church is estimated
to have some 50,000 members.
CSW is also concerned for three men arrested in connection with Bible transportation. Lai Kwong Keung, 38, a businessman from Hong Kong, was
arrested on May 31 2001. He and two other Chinese men, Yu Zhudi and Lin Xifu, both 42, were allegedly taking 16,280 Bibles to Fuqing city in Fujian
Province.
According to the ICHRD the men face charges of 'using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement', the same charge which resulted in Gong's death
sentence.
The ICHRD reports that the men were due to stand trial on the weekend of January 12 at Fuqing Intermediate Court, but this has been postponed.
According to another source, the case has been referred back to Fuzhou, possibly for review.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide-UK, said: "China's policy of designating groups as cults simply on grounds of
organization and refusal to register is causing untold damage and is a serious violation of human rights and international standards.
"CSW continues to urge China to allow true religious freedom as guaranteed under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.
"China needs to adhere to the international commitments she has undertaken before being given credence as a reliable member of the international
community. With entry into the World Trade Organization and the granting of the 2008 Olympics, the international community is justified in requiring
respect for the most basic international standards of respect for human life and fundamental freedoms."
--------------------------------------------------------------
August 2, 2001 Church Leaders Arrested in China as Part of Ongoing Campaign Against Unregistered Church
Police in China are holding Chinese Christian Ah Kong at
Huadu Detention Center in Guangdong, Southeast China, following his arrest for hosting an
unregistered Christian meeting in his home.
According to a source close to Ah Kong, police are seeking to
extract a large fine as a penalty and are thus refusing to release him.
Ah Kong was arrested alongside Pastor Li Dexian and six others
last Thursday, 26th July. The police arrived at 1.30 pm, carried out arrests And returned to Ah Kong's home at 3.00 pm when they closed
the meeting and dispersed attendees.
Li was released after three days, but not before police had severely reprimanded him and warned him sternly to refrain
from his religious activities.
Both Ah Kong, who is in his early 40s and Li, who is 49, have been subject to repeated arrests and harassment in the last
year and a half. Li was arrested fifteen times between October 1999 and May 2000.
During one period of detention in April, Li was bound with his
wrists chained to his ankles for five days, leaving him in excruciating pain, unable to straighten his back.
The incident in Huadu is part of a broader current campaign against the unregistered church.
The strike hard policy against the Falun Gong has had serious consequences for the church in China.
According to a source in China, the treatment of Christians has
taken a downward turn in the last two weeks across China. Allen Yuan, the Beijing pastor who spent over twenty years in
prison for his faith, had his house church raided during a meeting two weeks ago.
Samuel Lamb, who runs a church near Li Dexian's home and who also spent twenty years incarcerated for his faith, has also
faced fresh pressure in recent days with the government closure of the printing service he uses for his publications.
CSW's President Baroness Caroline Cox said: “As someone who has had the great privilege of worshipping in Pastor Samuel
Lamb's church and witnessing firsthand the authenticity of the worship and doctrine
in the house churches, I would urge the Chinese authorities to grant full freedom of religious practice and worship.
"It is disturbing to see these oppressive measures being taken
in the wake of the decision to grant China the 2008 Olympics. If China really wants to be viewed as a legitimate world player she
must learn to play by the rules. Harassing believers for their peaceful religious activities places China in breach of
international standards and, once again, brings her into disrepute in the world arena."