The Voice of the Martyrs has received a series of reports this week, demonstrating the challenges of being a Christian in China.
(a) In February 2003, Mr. He-Man was arrested and changed with "illegal printing." He was found with various books, Bibles, and CDs and was interrogated for the names of contacts and co-workers. In spite of torture, including having his fingernails torn out, he remained silent. This week we received news that He-Man has been sentenced to five years in prison. As you pray for those serving Christ in prison, please remember He-Man.
(b) According to a report received on June 21, Christian workers from various provinces were meeting in a home in southwest China to discuss future plans when the Public Security Bureau arrested them. No further information is yet available. Please pray for these leaders, their families, and the ministries they were involved in.
(c) Twelve members of an underground church have been arrested and at least eight face "re-education" in a labour camp, according to a June 18 report from Human Rights in China (HRIC). Those arrested include Wang Qiyou, Huang Yuting, Huang Changshou, Huang Tingyi, Huang Guojie and Huang Shaoxian, all members of a house church in Nanong Village in the southwestern province of Yunnan.
Due to continuing government oppression, the house church had requested official recognition by the authorities. On June 6, officials turned up at four locations where the church was meeting. Church leaders thought they were there to work on the documentation. Instead, the twelve were taken to the Funing County Detention Center without warrant or notifying their families. On June 13, the families were finally notified that the eight were being held indefinitely on charges of "engaging in feudalistic superstition." A government official told the BBC that they had been sent for re-education through labour; effectively a prison sentence without trial. Other raids are continuing in what sources say is the largest scale crackdown on house churches this year.
Pray for your brothers and sisters in China during this continued oppression. We also call on Christians around the world to contact their governments, urging them to put pressure on China to respect the freedom to worship God. Thank you for the many who have contacted authorities about imprisoned believers in China. The Chinese embassy in the US has been so overwhelmed with emails recently they were forced to take down their public email address. We encourage you to continue to politely register your protests. Contact information can be found through our website at https://www.vomcanada.com/links.htm.
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