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China

• Christmas Services Raided

  As one hundred Christians gathered to worship on Christmas Eve in Korla City, Xinjiang, six police officers raided their meeting and forced them to stop the service.  The officers directed the people to go to a government-sanctioned church if they wanted to meet for worship. One church leader has informed China Aid that they intend to continue meeting even though they will have to find another location.

  Also in Xinjiang, in Ma Na Si County, two hundred police officers and other officials raided a house church meeting in a rented facility on Christmas Day.  Two hundred and ten believers had gathered to worship when the police entered with a search warrant and declared that the meeting was an "illegal religious gathering."  Twelve church leaders were arrested and property was confiscated, including two vehicles, a piano, a video camera, eighty Bibles, 230 towels and all the Christmas food.  Seven of the leaders were later released.  Those still in custody at last report were Pastor Guo Xianyao (54), Ms. Lu Jianzhen (47), Ms. Wu Haifang (28), Ms. Wang Ximei (54) and Ms. Zhou Bin (50).  According to one witness, Pastor Guo was physical beaten by the police.

  Pray that those who have been arrested will soon be released. Ask God to give them patience and quietness of heart as they face their accusers. Pray that Pastor Guo will be able to maintain a consistent walk with God as he recovers from the beatings. Ask God to protect His people from bitterness and that they will have an undying love for those who continue to violate their basic human rights.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in China,click here. Video reports on China are available on www.vomcanada.com

• Protest Against Confiscated Property Turns to Violence

  On November 23, sixteen nuns were injured as they protested plans to destroy a school building in Xian, China.  The building had been confiscated by the Chinese government during Mao's "Cultural Revolution," but should have been returned to the Catholic Church after policies changed in 1979. According to a December 14 report from the Catholic news agency, Zenit, officials have responded to public pressure.  Eleven people have been arrested for their part in the attack and the government has agreed to pay all medical expenses for those injured. For more information, including photos from the attack, click here.

  On December 16, a similar attack took place in the sea-side city of Tianjin. Forty-eight priests and two nuns staged a protest against the confiscation of several buildings which should have been returned to the Church, but which were turned over to a land developer instead.  Around 2:15 p.m., a group described by local sources as "thugs" arrived and began to beat the demonstrators with iron bars, bricks and clubs.  When security forces arrived, the attackers fled and the demonstrators were taken to the police station for questioning.  A few hours later, those injured were allowed to go to the hospital.  At last report, six priests were recovering from various injuries and one nun, Song Zhiying, remained in hospital with head injuries.

  Praise God for His intervention on behalf of those who were attacked in Xian. Pray that those responsible will be convicted. Pray that the attackers in Tianjin will also be arrested. Pray for a full recovery for those injured.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in China,click here. Various videos on China are available for free viewing on www.vomcanada.com. VOMC also has a number of resources on China available for sale through our online catalogue.  

• Christian Businessman's Court Case Rejected In October, The Voice of the Martyrs issued a series of reports on the plight of Christian businessman, Tong Qimiao, who was severely beaten by security police on September 28 for no apparent reason.  He was then forced out of the hospital and his business was closed after he complained about the treatment he received. Tong filed claim against the Public Security Bureau (PSB) officer responsible for the attack.  However, according to a December 13 report from China Aid, the District People's Court of Kashi City in Xinjiang has rejected the claim without explanation.
• Nuns Injured in Attempt to Stop Destruction of School Building

  Pictures courtesy ofChina Aid

  Sixteen nuns were injured as they attempted to prevent the destruction of a school building in Xian on November 23.  Although the government attempted to block any information on the incident from leaving the country, Catholic sources were able to release information on the destruction of the School of the Rosary and the attack on the nuns protesting the destruction.

  Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the Chinese government confiscated all church-owned property, including the School of the Rosary, which was turned into a state-run school in 1952.  In the 1980's, government policy changed and all property confiscated during the "Cultural Revolution" was to be returned to their original owners.  However, many buildings owned by the Church remained under government control.  A few years ago, the government abandoned the building and recently sold the land to a developer who intended to destroy the building.  The nuns from the Congregation of the Franciscan Sacred Heart Missionaries protested this action, claiming ownership belonged to the Catholic Church.

  According to a report sent by the Xian diocese, a bulldozer began to destroy the wall of the compound on the night of November 23.  At least thirty men with sticks and matching jackets cut power to the facility and began to demolish the building.  When the nuns protested, the men turned on the women and began to beat them.  At last report, those still hospitalized included: Dong Jianian (41) who has undergone spinal cord surgery; Cheng Jing (34) who is at risk of losing her sight in one eye; Yue Xiuying (31); and Zan Hongfang (34) who suffered a fracture to her left arm.  Others continue to recover from their physical and psychological wounds.  Hundreds of Christians took to the streets of Xian on November 27 to protest the action.  To quell the protests, the city officials have offered to sell the property to the Catholic Church for 6.5 million yuan (over $932,000 CDN).  The auxiliary bishop of Xian, Dang Minyan, has agreed to discuss the issue, but many Catholics see such a transaction as illegitimate.

  Pray for complete healing for those injured in this incident. Pray that Cheng Jing will not lose sight in her one eye and that Dong Jianian will fully recover from her spinal cord surgery. Ask God to grant the city officials a willingness to work toward an equitable deal with the Catholic Church.

  Video reports from China, including footage of the destruction of a church building in 2003, are available on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com. More information on the persecution of Christians is also available on our country report.

• Two Priests Released, Six Others Arrested in Hebei

  On November 16, The Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the arrest of Bishop Jai Zhiguo and two priests (click here for more information) on November 7-8.  On November 24, the Catholic news agency Zenit reported that the two priests had been released. Bishop Jai remains detained in a so-called "study session."  It has also been learned that six priests in Bishop Jai's diocese of Zheng Ding in Hebei Province were arrested on November 18.  The Cardinal Kung Foundation reports that two, Wan Jin Shan and Gao Lingshen, were also severely beaten during the arrests.  Both men were in their 50s.  Guo Zhijun (36) Zhang Ziuchi (60), Peng Jianjun (30) and Zhang Yinhu (45) were also arrested.  At the last reports, all six priests were detained in the Gaocheng security bureau.

  Pray that the arrests will stop and that those in prison will be released soon. Pray that Christ will be their strength as they suffer for the sake of their beliefs. Pray that truth will prevail in China despite the government's concentrated efforts to silence it.

  For more information on the persecution facing the Chinese Church,click here.  Video reports from China, including the actual destruction of a church building is available on the multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com.  Visit our weblog page to read Glenn Penner's November 11 and 22 comments concerning the persecution of Christians in China.

• Priest And Seminarians Arrested

  On November 12, Chinese authorities arrested a Catholic priest, Father Yang Jianwei, and ten seminarians in a village near Xushui City in Hebei province, according to a report from Cardinal Kung Foundation.  No indication has been given as to the reasons for the arrests.  On November 15, six of the seminarians, who were not from the area, were released and sent to their homes.  The other four, along with Yang, remain in custody.

  These arrests, along with several others in recent days, come at a time when religious freedom in China has been prominently featured in the international news.  Glenn Penner, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, said he was encouraged when he heard U.S. President Bush stressing the need for religious freedom in China during his recent visit to the country.  At the same time Latin American evangelist Luis Palau was also visiting China as a guest of the Chinese government and made some rather controversial statements questioning religious persecution in China.  To read Glenn Penner's response to Palau's remarks, click here. Also check out his November 11 weblog on international trade on countries like China.

  Ask God to give Yang and the students the strength in Christ they will need to remain joyful in their suffering. Pray that those in prison would be protected from harm, that their practical needs would be met, and that they would be released soon. Ask the Lord to give them boldness to speak the truth in love, even to their persecutors. Pray that the eyes of the free world will be opened to the fact that persecution is a serious problem in China and do everything possible to support religious freedom there.

  The Voice of the Martyrs has a number of books and DVDs on the church in China available on our online resource catalog. For more information on the persecution of China's Christians,click here.

• Lawyer Faces Removal of License

  The Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on November 9 that the law firm representing Pastor Cai and several other religious rights cases had been suspended from operations for a year (click here to read more).  With the visit of U.S. President Bush, the head of the firm, Gao Zhisheng, was ordered to leave Beijing to prevent him from contacting the U.S. delegation.  According to a November 22 report from China Aid Association (CAA), Gao now faces the removal of his license to practice law.  He, his wife and 12-year-old daughter have also faced threats from secret police.  Gao reports that the police have repeatedly attempted to force his car off the road. Gao has recently become a Christian and intends to be baptized in a house church soon.

  CAA encourages concerned Christians, particularly those who know Chinese, to express their concern for Brother Gao.  His email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  His telephone number is +86-10-81990759.  You can also contact Wu Yuhua, Director General of the Beijing Judicial Bureau, to express your concern about they suspension of Gao's law license at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone +86-10-58575683. 

• Bishop and Two Priests Arrested

  Bishop Jai Zhiguo was arrested for the eighth time in less than two years, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation.  On the morning of November 8, security officials took the 70-year-old bishop for a "study session" in Shijiazhuang City.  One day earlier, two priests from Dingzhou City, Li Suchan (40) and Yang Ermeng (35) were detained by the Security Bureau of Jinzhou City.

  This past week, the U.S. State Department released its list of "countries of particular concern" in regard to human rights.  China is once again included because of its continued disregard for the rights of its citizens.  At the same time, China is listed as a "most favored nation" by the United States in terms of economic trade.  Glenn Penner's November 11 weblog, "Trading with the Devil in the Hope of Changing Hell," discusses the myth that trade and economic reform inevitably leads to improved human rights in repressive regimes like China.  Click here to read his comments.

• Update: Pastor Cai Withdraws Appeals

  Pastor Cai with Son

  China Aid reported on November 16 that church leader Cai Zhuohua has withdrawn further appeals to the three year sentence he received for printing and distributing Bibles and Christian literature (click here to read more). This decision was apparently the result of intense pressure from authorities and threats of more prison time if he continued with his appeals.  Sources report that a court clerk visited Cai at the Qinghe Detention Center and told him that the only reason he was serving prison time rather than a suspended sentence was because he hired lawyers who kept annoying the government.  The law firm representing Cai was ordered to suspend operations for one year on November 4 (click here for the story).  More details are available byclicking here.
• Two Catholic Priests Arrested On October 27, two Catholic priests, Father Wang Xhow Fa and Father P. Paulus Shao Gu Min, were arrested shortly after celebrating Mass.  The two priests have been under significant pressure from the authorities for many years and were recently interviewed by the Italian news service, L'Espresso.  Police would not confirm whether the interview had anything to do with their arrest.