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China

• Three Christians Released; Others Held

  The Voice of the Martyrs has learned that three of the six house church leaders arrested on July 13 (click here) were released this week. Those released report that they were held in a hotel and subjected to repeated questioning and brainwashing. They were released only when they said they would speak to their congregations about registering their church with the government. They were warned that they would be rearrested if the congregations were not registered.

  Three men are still being held but were moved to a different hotel when news of their arrest reached the international community. The three still being held are Shen Shao-Cheng, Gao Chong-Dao, and Xiang Fa. Shen is over 80 years old.

  At last report, the men were being held at the Kai Yuan Cheng Shi Hotel, which can be reached by fax from North America at 011-86-571-82625217. We encourage Christians to send a fax of encouragement to those being held. Even if they do not receive the fax, it will let the authorities know that Christians around the world are concerned. We also encourage you to contact the Chinese embassy in your country. Contact information for Canada and the USA is available through our website at https://www.vomcanada.com/links.htm.

  Continue to pray for physical, emotional, and spiritual strength for the men being held. Pray for house churches throughout China facing increasing pressure from the authorities.

• House Church Raided; Church Leaders Arrested

  While believers met to pray very early in the morning of July 13, officers of the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) raided a house church in Xiao Shan City in Zhejiang Province, assaulting the Christians and arresting at least three leaders. One of those arrested was Shao Cheng Shen, who helped found the church twenty-five years earlier. Shen is now eighty years old. Also arrested were Wei Min Xu and Chong Dao Gao. Another Christian, Huiliang Wong, is wanted by the PSB but managed to escape through a church window and now remains in hiding. According to a report received by The Voice of the Martyrs, the police produced no arrest warrants of any other documentation. The three men are being held in an undisclosed location and no one has been allowed to see them.

  In the past twenty-five years, the church building has been destroyed three times and each time they rebuilt without government approval. During the recent SARS scare, the government ordered them to stop meeting, claiming it was to stop the spread of the disease. Repeatedly the Religious Affairs Bureau has called on the church to register and join the official church, but they have refused, since it would put them under government control in areas such as doctrine and polity.

  We would encourage you to register a polite protest with the Chinese embassy in your country. We also encourage you to contact your own government officials, urging them to express their disapproval with this action. For contact information for Canada, the United States, and the UN, go to our website at https://www.vomcanada.com/links.htm. If you speak Mandarin, you may also contact the PSB office in Xiao Shan City at 011-86-571-82622514. We encourage you to read our guidelines on contacting government officials at https://www.vomcanada.com/writegovernment.htm.

  Please pray for these leaders and others who are forced to serve the Lord in hiding, aware of the constant danger that they face. Pray that they might have a spirit of confidence in the grace and strength of Christ.

• More Church Leaders Detained

  Five clergy members of China's underground Roman Catholic Church were detained on July 1 in Baoding, Hebei, a city 70 miles west of Beijing, China. According to the report from the Cardinal Kung Foundation, Fathers Kang Fuliang, Chen Guozhen, Pang Guangzhao, Joseph Yin, and Li Shujun, were arrested when they were on their way to visit another underground priest, Lu Genjun. Lu Genjun had recently been released after serving three years in a labour camp.

  Earlier, on June 16, Father Lu Xiaozhou (Bosco), was arrested while ministering to a dying Catholic in Wenzhou, Zhejiang.

  While the Chinese constitution officially declares freedom of religion, actions like this clearly demonstrate a continuing oppression on those who are not part of the official church in China. Pray for believers throughout China, that they may stand firm in their faith in the face of this opposition.

  Pray also for believers in Hong Kong. Article 23 of its Basic Law is expected to pass in the Hong Kong Legislative Council today (July 9, 2003). If implemented, the Hong Kong government could potentially bar or close down any organization that is banned by the Chinese government on the pretense of national security. There is fear that this law will be used against religious groups in Hong Kong labeled "evil cults" by the Chinese government.

• Arrests, Prison and ''Re-Education'' For Christians

  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.

• Imprisoned Pastor Near Death

  Pastor Gong Shengliang, the imprisoned founder of the South China Church, is reportedly near death after repeated torture in a Chinese prison. According to Bob Fu, President of China Aid Association, and China analyst for The Voice of the Martyrs, a source within the Jingzhou Prison sent a message to Gong's family saying, "If you expect Mr. Gong to be alive, you shall do something immediately." This source stated that Gong had been severely beaten by prison police. As a result, he is suffering from serious internal bleeding, has lost his hearing in one ear, and has been bed-ridden for more than two weeks. At times he has slipped into a coma. The source stated that Gong is receiving no medical attention. He is facing daily interrogation and no one has been allowed to personally visit him since April 14. Since then, the risk of spreading SARS has been used by the Chinese authorities as an excuse to refuse further contact. Sources who have called the prison say that authorities admit that Gong has been ill but deny that he is being tortured.

  The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on Christians around the world to pray for Pastor Gong. He has remained firm in his faith and determination, refusing to confess to false allegations against him. Pray for his physical, psychological, and spiritual endurance.

  We encourage you to contact Chinese authorities as well as leaders of your country. Let them know that the world has not forgotten this man and politely call on them to allow medical intervention. Note that Pastor Gong's Chinese name is either Gong Shengliang or Gong Dali.

  Below are some addresses to assist you:

  President of the People's Republic of China:
  HU Jintao
  The State Council General Office
  Yongneixijie
  Beijingshi 100017
  Peoples Republic of 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
  Salutation: Your Excellency

  Chinese Embassy in Canada:
  His Excellency Ping MEI, Ambassador
  515 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, K1N 5H3, Canada
  Tel: (613) 789-3434,3513,8422/791-0511 (24h) Fax: (613) 789-1911
  Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  China's Mission to the United Nations:
  Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations
  350 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016
  Telephone: (212) 655-6100, Fax: (212) 634-7626
  E-mail: chinamission_This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  If you speak Chinese, we encourage you to telephone the Jingzhou Prison at 011-86-716-8422230 and ask about Pastor Gong's condition.

  To also send a note of encouragement to Pastor Gong at:
  Gong Shengliang,
  Ru Jian Dui, Jiaoyu Zhong Dui, Jingzhou Prison,
  Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, 434100 CHINA

• Raids on House Churches Continuing

  On May 11, a house church in Anshan in Liaoning province of China was raided by officials of the Public Service Bureau. Approximately forty Christians were tied up and their names recorded. While all were released later that night, the church has received a formal announcement of closure of their "illegal gathering." The former leader of the church, Li Baozhi had been recently released after serving two years in prison. She was not present that evening, however, or she would likely have been re-arrested.

  A Voice of the Martyrs source contacted the local authorities in China about this raid. A government spokesman, Jin Xiangdong, confirmed the raid of an "illegal religious gathering site" because of their "disturbance of social order." He stated that any religious gathering not part of the official churches is illegal and should be closed. He estimates 20-30 such closures every year in Anshan.

  This is one of many similar situations in China in recent months. Another Chinese ministry, China for Jesus, reported that 120 Christians were arrested during a meeting on April 23. All were eventually released after many were forced to pay a fine.

  Despite international pressure, Chinese authorities continue to defend their claim to freedom of religion. In a May 22 article by the government-controlled Xinhua News Agency, official Chinese religious leaders attacked the latest report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released on May 13. In the report, the USCIRF lists China among "countries of particular concern" and criticizes it as a "particularly severe violator of religious freedom." In response, Father Jos Ma Yinglin, secretary-general of the Chinese Catholic Bishops College, said, "Such a judgment based on mere hearsay doesn't match the facts I see. Since the country's opening-up and reform, all kinds of religions have grown fast. The religious cause of China has entered its heyday."

  While this growth may be accurate, it is clearly not a result of Chinese government policy as hundreds of Chinese believers are in prison for their faith.

  Pray for the thousands of Christians throughout China facing threats, intimidation, arrest, and possibly death because of their faith in Christ. Pray that those in prison for their faith will receive added strength from God's Spirit, so that they might have a renewed sense of their freedom in Christ, despite their chains.

• 120 House Church Members Arrested

  On April 8, Asia Harvest reported that 120 house church members were arrested on April 4 by police, many of them leaders of the Local Church, one of several Chinese church groups that comes from the root of Watchman Nee teaching. Twenty members were later released, but 100 remain in custody.

  The Local Church is considered an "evil cult" by the Chinese government and those arrested often face severe beating and torture. A significant part of the Local Church fell into error in the late 70's and 80's, following the false teachings of Li Changshou. However, reports from China suggest that, at present, at least 60% of the Local Church remain solid, Bible-believing Christians.

  Pray for those arrested, that they will be kept safe and will be released soon. Pray for Christians throughout China who face the constant threat of harassment and prison.

• Visiting Officials Launch Propaganda Attack

  While visiting American officials, a Chinese government delegation has "clarified" their case against Pastor Gong Shengliang. Using fact sheets and photos of those claimed to be victims of Gong and his followers, Ye Xiaowen, director of China's State Administration for Religious Affairs, laid out their case against Gong and the South China Church. According to a report by the Xinhua News Agency yesterday, Ye claimed that some who had refused to join Gong's church or who disagreed with him were beaten. Gong was also accused of raping some of his followers and is presently serving a life sentence for rape and assault. Ye claimed that Christian leaders in China denounce Gong as "Satan" and "devil." The delegation insists that Gong was sentenced to life imprisonment because of his criminal offenses, not normal religious activities.

  As reported in last week's Persecution & Prayer Alert, this Chinese delegation has been meeting with church and government leaders in Canada and USA to dialogue on religious and human rights in China.

  The Voice of the Martyrs has been covering the story of Pastor Gong and the South China Church (SCC) for over a year because of several arrests based on misrepresentation and false accusations against Gong and his followers. Responding to this latest round of attacks on the reputation of Pastor Gong and the SCC, Bob Fu, VOM's China analyst, denounced it as "slander" and offered the following rebuttal:

  - The SCC is a recognized evangelical group with a sound doctrinal footing. The are not an "evil cult." They have been under brutal persecution because they refuse to come under the control of the Religious Affairs Bureau of the Communist Party.

  - Though there have been some cases of emotional response by members against their persecutors, there has never been a case where Pastor Gong has encouraged any type of revenge against persecutors.

  - There is undeniable evidence, including affidavits, showing that the women who were supposedly raped by Pastor Gong confessed and signed under severe coercion and torture even to the point of death in the case of sister Zhongju Yu.

  - The delegation continued to talk about the SCC as a cult, even though the court in Hubei dropped the charge of "evil cult" against the SCC. To this day, thousands of members are still experiencing daily persecution.

  In a related story in the People's Daily Online on February 24, Cao Shengjie, a member of the delegation from China and president of the official China Christian Council, acknowledged the rapid growth of Christianity in China and stressed that there is religious freedom for all Chinese citizens. Speaking in the US, she told people to "go to China and see for yourself" to get a clear picture of the religious situation in China.

  Those who have gone to China in recent years have often come back with a significantly different story than presented by this delegation. Fu states that Cao has no credibility, since she is a direct tool of the Chinese Communist Party.

  Pray for Pastor Gong and others imprisoned for their faith in China. Pray that American and Canadian officials who have met with the delegation will see through their deception and will continue to push for true religious freedom in China.

• Religious Freedom Threatened in Hong Kong

  Since Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997, China has consistently violated the agreement signed by the Chinese and British governments regarding the governance and autonomy of the island. According to the agreement, Hong Kong was to retain its economic and social systems as a democratic society for 50 years. However, mainland China has since assumed more control of the government than what was agreed upon. An example of this is Article 23, introduced by the Hong Kong government on February 13 with intentions to make it law by July 2003.

  A particularly troubling element of Article 23 is that any Hong Kong group that receives funds, direction or leadership from a group that is already outlawed by Beijing would be likewise banned in Hong Kong. Also, appeals by organizations banned under the new law may potentially be heard only by closed tribunals, barring group members and their legal representatives from the proceedings.

  Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen has spoken out against the law, which could effectively remove the freedom to worship for Hong Kong's 347,000 Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church is banned in mainland China and was replaced by the Chinese government with a Catholic organization loyal to the state rather than the Vatican. While the law specifically targets organizations in Hong Kong that are controlled by illegal organizations based in mainland China, the Chinese government has frequently shown its resolve to remove any religious organization that is not subservient to the state.

  Pray for believers in Hong Kong, as they continue their ministry during this time of uncertainty. Pray that the Chinese government will bow to pressure and not enact this new law. Pray also for the many Chinese Christians already in prison, suffering for their faithfulness to their Lord.

• Human Rights Dialogue Between China and Canada

  The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is calling on Christians to pray for meetings taking place on February 15-21 between Canadian and Chinese officials. Ye Xiaowen, Director-General of the Chinese State Administration for Religious Affairs, is visiting Canada as part of the Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue. Mr. Ye and his delegation will be meeting with Canadian government and religious leaders to talk about church-state relations in Canada. And EFC delegate was scheduled to meet with the delegation last Monday.

  Pray that there will be a positive and truthful interaction between the Chinese officials and Christians during these meetings. Pray that these talks can help in easing the persecution against Christians in China. Pray that Canadian delegates will not be misled into believing the misinformation frequently propagated by the Chinese government.