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China
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Catholic Priests, Seminarians Arrested
On the evening of August 6, eight underground Roman Catholic priests and two seminarians were attending a retreat when twenty police vehicles and a large number of officers raided the remote village of Sujiazhuang in Hebei Province, China. According to the Cardinal Kung Foundation, the ten are in custody in the Baoding Security Bureau. The arrested include Huo Junlong and Zhang Zhenquian of the Baoding Diocese and Father Huang of Sujiazhuang Village.
The President of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, Joseph Kung, said, "While the whole world is in awe at the performance and the spirit of the Olympic Games, the Chinese government, who will be hosting the 2008 Olympic Games, failed to respect such Olympic spirits and violated its own constitution guaranteeing religious freedom by raiding and jailing these innocent religious personnel."
Pray for those arrested, as well as Christians throughout China who live under a constant threat of arrest and torture. We encourage Christians to politely voice your concerns to the Chinese authorities. For contact information for Chinese embassies around the world, click here.
Pioneer and grandfather of China's underground church movement, Pastor Allen Yuan recently met with VOM representatives in Beijing. Two recent video clips from the 88-year old pastor are available on our multimedia website, PersecutionTV. The first one is a greeting to his brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world and the second is a discussion of Christianity in China. For more information on persecution facing Christians in China,click here.
Pastor Allen Yuan -
Most Arrested in July Raid Released; Court Document Available Online
Following an international outcry, most of the hundred Christian leaders arrested on July 12 in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region have been released. According to VOM sources, five Christians remain in custody. They are: Mr. Zhao Xinlan, 50; Ms. Li Cuiling, 44; Mr. Wang Chaoyi, 39; Mr. Yang Tian Lu, 39; and Ms. Gao Rui'er, 28.
On August 11, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the sentencing of three Christians for "illegally soliciting, providing national intelligence to overseas organizations" (click here for details). This week, China Aid was able to obtain a copy of the court documents outlining the reasons for their conviction. To view this document, click here. Chinese readers may wish to click here.
The Voice of the Martyrs has also received information that, following the arrest of more than one hundred Christians on August 6 (click here for details), other family members have also been arrested. The families of six of those arrested have also received formal notice of the "criminal detention" of their family members. Chinese law allows detentions for up to three years without formal charges.Pray for spiritual and physical strength for all of those arrested. Pray that the international community will pressure the Chinese government to respect freedom of religious expression.
The Voice of the Martyrs has been active through its "Legal Defense Fund" in assisting the families of Chinese prisoners of faith with their legal fees as they seek to fight their unjust sentences. If you would like to help in this ministry, you can go to our secure donation page (click here) and designate your gift to VOM's "Legal Defense Fund." Thank you for your help in this way.
For more information on the persecution of the Chinese Church,click here.
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Three Christian Leaders Imprisoned
Last week, readers of the Persecution and Prayer Alert were asked to pray for Liu Fenggang, Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi, as they were to appear before the Intermediate People's Court of Hangzhou on August 6 (click here for more details). The three were all convicted of "illegally soliciting, providing national intelligence to overseas organizations." Liu has been sentenced to three years, Xu to two years and Zhang to one year.
According to prosecutors, the three men leaked information about a court case from 2000 to a Christian magazine and overseas organizations. The case involved the appeal of the sentence of Li Boazhi to eighteen months of "re-education through labour" for being a member of an "evil cult." Liu was also found guilty of writing reports on the destruction of house church buildings in several areas of Zhejiang province in 2003. The three intend to appeal their sentence. At last report, they all appeared to be in good health.
Pray that God will influence the government of China to change their policies of oppression and that the appeal process will be successful. Pray for these three men, as they face their prison sentences, that they will stand firm, whether delivered or not.
For more information on persecution China, click here.
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Church Leader Retreat Raided
For the third time in two months, Chinese authorities have rounded up large numbers of house church leaders as they gathered together for mutual encouragement and fellowship. In the latest incident, more than one hundred house church leaders were arrested on August 6 when a leadership retreat was raided. According to China Aid, just as the first day of the two week retreat was beginning, more than two hundred military police, Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers and others surrounded the building and began their assault. Though no arrest warrants were presented, everyone in the house was arrested, including the wife and three young children of one of the organizers.
The conference was being held in a home in Tongxu County, Kaifeng City, Henan Province. Those arrested were church leaders from various provinces. One church leader was also arrested on his way to the meeting, carrying literature for those attending. After his arrest, his house was raided and a large quantity of literature was removed.Pray for spiritual and emotional endurance for those arrested, as well as their family members. Pray for the strength to stand firm, despite the opposition and torture they may face.
We encourage Christians to write to the Chinese embassy in their respective country, protesting this action against their citizens. For contact information, click here.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, click here.
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Verdict Expected for Church Leaders; Updates on Previous Reports
After ten months in detention, a verdict is expected in trials of three prominent house church leaders. According to an August 4 report from China Aid, the defense attorneys and family members have been notified to appear at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 6.
Zhang Shengqi with fiance
The charges against Liu Fenggang, Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi stem from a case against Ms.Li Baozhi in 2000. The three are accused of leaking information about the case to an overseas magazine, "Christian Life Quarterly" as well as sending a report to China Aid Association. Liu has also been charged with leaking information on the destruction of several house church buildings. The sentence for leaking "national secrets" can be life imprisonment. For more information on the arrests of these three, click here).
There have been several other developments in China to report, listed below:
China Aid reports that all but eight of the one hundred Christians arrested on July 12 have been released (click here for more details). The eight still in custody are leaders from Ku Er Le and Urumushi. The release was surprising, since thirty had already been shaved in preparation for labour camps. The group leader expresses deep gratitude to those who worked to help secure the release. Xu Yonghai
Lui Fenggang
China Aid also reports that Deborah Xu is again under house arrest, after going missing for a few days. She has been told to not leave her residence without permission from the Department of State Security. Xu was arrested on January 25 (click here).
We ask that you continue to pray for these requests, particularly for the August 6 court appearance. Continue to intercede in prayers as well as contacting government officials on behalf of these and hundreds of other Christians in prison for their faith in China. Click here for contact information.
For more information on persecution facing Christians in China,click here.
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Over One Hundred Christian Leaders Arrested
In an incident reminiscent of a similar arrest only weeks before (click here for details), Chinese authorities raided a leadership retreat on July 12, arresting over one hundred church leaders. More than two hundred military police and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers surrounded the "Retreat Center for Railroad Workers" located in Section 5 of Liu Gong Town, Chang Ji Zhou (district) in Xinjiang in Western China, arresting everyone gathered there. No arrest warrants or official identification papers were shown by officers as they carried out the raid.
The "co-workers meeting" was being held to train and encourage Christian workers in the Xinjiang area, China's western frontier and the home of the mostly-Muslim Uyghur people. The meeting was sponsored by the Ying Shang Church, a large house-church network headquartered in Anhui Province.
More than thirty are being held in the PSB headquarters near the retreat centre, while the rest were sent back to their home areas where they are being detained in PSB offices. Several have reportedly been sent to the so-called "Transformation and Study Center," where they face interrogation and attempts to force them to renounce their faith. If they refuse, they will be formally charged. According ChinaAid, those from ouside of Xinjiang are facing added problems, since it is illegal to cross a provincial border for religious meetings without government approval.
Among those arrested are Wang Yu Lian, a leader in the Ying Shang Church for more than 20 years. Also arrested was Jin Da, the General Secretary of the government-sanctioned TSPM of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. Jin is reported to be supportive of unregistered house churches.
Pastor Samuel Lamb
The underground church in China has been facing increasing pressure from government forces in recent weeks. On June 11, a similar conference was raided and all in attendance were arrested, but later released. Compass Direct also reports that on June 13, well-known house church leader, Samuel Lamb, was also arrested along with ten co-workers. They were all interrogated and then released. This is the first time in fourteen years that Chinese authorities have taken such action against Pastor Lamb. You can view a message from Pastor Lamb in the teaching section of VOM's multimedia website.
Pray for the continued growth and strength of the Chinese Church, despite this increasing pressure. Pray for the spiritual and emotional strength of those facing interrogation and the physical ability to withstand the torture many will likely face. Pray for their families, as they face the emotional turmoil of seeing their loved ones taken from them because of their faith in Jesus.
For more information on persecution of Christians in China,click here.
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Beaten to Death for Distributing Bibles
A 34-year-old woman was beaten to death in jail on June 18 after being arrested for handing out Bibles in the southwest Chinese province of Guizhou. According to news reports, Jiang Zongxiu was official arrested for "spreading rumours and inciting to disturb social order." Later that day, police informed her family that she had died of a sudden illness. Relatives report that her body was covered with bruises and blood stains.
The incident has sparked protests in Jiang's hometown, as local residents demand an investigation. This is the second report of a Christian being beaten to death by Chinese police in the past two months. On April 26, Gu Xianggao was beaten to death by Public Service Bureau (PSB) officers (click here for details).While Bibles are officially allowed in China, only a limited number are published and are not available for public distribution.
For more information on persecution facing Christians in China,click here. Testimonies and reports on Christianity in China can also be found on VOM's multimedia website at PersecutionTV.
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One Hundred Prisoners Released
On June 16, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported that one hundred leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship had been arrested during a leadership retreat in Wuhan City (click here for more details). We are thankful to report that, according to a July 2 report from Asia Harvest, all of those arrested have been released.
While these leaders have been released, they have been ordered to return to their home towns where they are required to stay and report to local authorities on regular intervals. Since many of them are evangelists, these travel restrictions are likely to hinder their ongoing ministry.
Praise God that these ministers have been released. Pray that they will find effective ways of communicating the Gospel despite these restrictions.
For more information the continuing persecution of Christians in China,click here.
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Government Denies Arresting Bishop
On May 27, an 84-year-old bishop of the underground Catholic Church, Zhao Zhendong, disappeared, taken into custody by Chinese authorities. However, facing increasing international pressure, China's Religious and Ethical Affairs Bureau has publicly denied that Zhao had ever been arrested. According to a June 25 report from Voice of America, a spokesman for the bureau claims that Zhao had been voluntarily taking a course on China's official religious policy. The official claimed that Zhao had now finished the course and returned to his church in a village in Hebei where there are no telephones. When Voice of America attempted to confirm that Zhao had been released, a spokesman from the Vatican stated that they had heard nothing from Zhao since his arrest.
In recent months, Chinese authorities have been increasing pressure on underground churches, arresting hundreds of believers. Some have been released after a few days, while many remain in prison and "re-education" camps. Pray for Zhao and the many other Christians facing prison for their faith. Pray for physical strength, as well as a firm resolve to follow Christ without wavering.
For more information on persecution in China,click here. You may also want to view some of VOM's videos on China available online on our new multimedia website, PersecutionTV. -
More than One Hundred Christian Leaders Arrested
In a single raid on a leadership retreat on June 11, police arrested more than one hundred leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship (CGF) house church movement. According to a witness to the arrest, around fifty police officers, probably from the Public Security Bureau (PSB), raided the meeting in Wuhan, Hubei Province, around 2:00 p.m., arresting everyone present, including one of the senior CGF leaders Xing Jinfu. There is no information on where they are being held. The CGF was founded in the mid-1980s and is one of five major house church movements, with over five million members.Pray for the release of these leaders. Pray that the churches left without leadership at this point will be strong in their faith and witness for Jesus Christ. Pray for emotional and spiritual strength for the families of those arrested.
We encourage you to write to politely raise concerns about these arrests. Below is contact information for the Chinese Embassy in Canada and the United Nations. For additional contact information, click here.
Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations
350 East 35th Street
New York, N.Y. 10016
Phone: (212) 655-6100, Fax: (212) 634-7626
E-mail:Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. His Excellency Ping Mei, Ambassador
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
515 St. Patrick St.
Ottawa, ON K1N 5H3
Phone: (613) 789-3434, 3513, 8422/791-0511
Fax: (613) 789-1911
E-mail:Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. For more information on persecution in China,click here.
