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China

• Six House Church Leaders Arrested in Henan

  

  While worshipping with approximately one hundred other Christians in a house church in the town of Wuquan in Henan Province, six church leaders were dragged from the service on November 6 by officials from the Public Security Bureau and Religious Affair Bureau of Wuyang County.  Those arrested included Mr. Yuan Quansan, Mr. Zhang Xiaowu, Mr. He Zhanying, Mr. Wang Jinzhong and Mr. X Guangwei.  All but Yuan Quansan and Guang Wei were released the next day.  Police told them they would be released if they guaranteed that their house church would either stop meeting or join the official Three-Self Patriotic Church.

• Pastor Arrested for Printing Christian Literature On November 8, Pastor Cai Zhuohua, his wife Xiao Yunfei and her brother Mr. Xiao Gaowen were sentenced to prison for "illegal business practices."  They were convicted of printing and distributing thousands of Bibles and other Christian literature.  Cai was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 yuan ($22,000 CDN).  Xiao Yunfei was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 120,000 yuan and Xiao Gaowen was sentenced to eighteen months and fined 100,000 yuan.
• Law Firm Ordered to Suspend Operations On November 4, a leading Chinese law firm, Sheng Zhi Law Firm, was ordered to suspend all operations for one year.  The law firm, directed by Gao Zhisheng, was actively involved in many human rights cases, including a case representing Pastor Cai Zhuohua.  Gao Zhisheng was often outspoken in his defense of human rights in China.  Reports suggest that this suspension follows Gao's refusal to renounce a letter he had sent to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, as well as his refusal to withdraw from several politically sensitive cases that he was representing.  Speaking to the Washington Post on November 5, Gao said, "We're very angry. By doing this, the Chinese Communist Party is demonstrating it defies all laws, human and divine. They are saying that anyone who believes in law, who criticizes the political system, who exposes crimes against the people, will be targeted."
• Business Closed in Retaliation Against Businessman

  Picture fromChina Aid

  In an apparent act of revenge, the Xinjiang State Security Bureau has ordered Tong Qimiao to close his furniture factory and store after he filed complaints against the officers for torturing him.  According to a reliable source, Tong was ordered to close his store on October 13 and 14.  Several furniture items were also confiscated by the authorities.

  Tong was severely beaten during police interrogation on September 28.  After filing complaints against those responsible, he was ordered to leave the hospital where he was being treated for his injuries, which included a broken chest bone.

• Chinese Leader Arrested and Beaten for Providing Aid

  Picture fromChina Aid

  On October 11, a prominent Christian activist, Hua Huiqi, was arrested in his home in Beijing.  He was accused of aiding Sun Xiaodi who, earlier this year, had sought to appeal to government authorities in Beijing to stop the religious persecution that she and her house church were facing in her native Gansu province.  She was subsequently arrested on April 28, 2005.

  After seven hours of intense abuse and interrogation, Hua was released.  Speaking to Bob Fu of China Aid Association, Hua said he was handcuffed the entire time. He was beaten and kicked repeatedly.  Whenever he was asked a question, he was slapped in the face before he had a chance to answer.  Hua told Fu, "Though I was beaten by the interrogators repeatedly, I told them I love and pray for them instead of hating them. They told me I am a strange man."

  Praise God for Hua's release and for the testimony of Christ-likeness that he was able to demonstrate while being interrogated.  Pray for Hua and others as they serve Christ's Church in this very difficult land.

  For more information on the persecution facing Christians in China,click here.  Several video clips from China are also available on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com. 

• Hospital Pressured to Release Beaten Chinese Businessman

  Picture fromChina Aid

  As reported in the Persecution and Prayer Alert last week, on the morning on September 28, Tong Qimiao, a Christian businessman from Zhejiang Province, was questioned by security agents in Kashgar.  Since he had no idea what they were asking him about, Qimiao was unable to give them the information they were seeking.  Consequently, the police seriously beat him and left him with a broken chest bone.  He was hospitalized and forced to sign a statement that he had not been beaten during his interrogation.

  On October 8, under intense pressure from Chinese security police, the hospital asked Tong to leave the facility, despite his need for continued treatment. This action was because earlier that morning, Tong and his wife had visited the offices of both local State Security Bureau and the Public Security of Kashgar asking them to investigate the abuse and torture he had received at the hands of the State Security officers.  Security officials are still refusing to investigate.

• House Church Pastor and Evangelist Arrested On September 26, police in Henan Province, China arrested a house church pastor, Ma Yinzhou, in an attempt to force him to reveal the whereabouts of his son, Ma Shulei, a fulltime house church evangelist.  Shulei turned himself in on October 2 in order to save his father.  However, both are now being held in police custody.
• Christian Businessman Seriously Beaten On the morning on September 28, Tong Qimiao, a Christian businessman from Zhejiang Province, was questioned by security agents in Kashgar.  Since he had no idea what they were asking him about, Qimiao was unable to give them the information they were seeking.  Consequently, the police seriously beat him and left him with a broken chest bone.  Now in hospital, Tong has been threatened and forced to sign a statement that he was never beaten during interrogation.
• Christian Chinese Historian Released from Prison

  After serving his two year sentence, Christian historian and church leader, Zhang Yi-nan was scheduled to be released from custody on September 25.  Before being allowed to return home, however, he was taken to a police station where he was "instructed" on what to publicly say and do upon his release.  Police reportedly told him that he was "very defiant" because he refuses to admit his "mistakes" -- being a Christian and part of an unregistered house church.  He was finally allowed to return home to his wife and son in the early afternoon. 

  Zhang expects that his activities will continue to be monitored.  According to China Aid Association, a Public Service Bureau officer refused to return his identification card in order to restrict his movements.  Speaking to VOMC sources, Zhang said, "Compared to the testimony of Pastor Allen Yuan and Wang Mingdao, my suffering is nothing. Both of them were imprisoned for about 20 years for the sake of the gospel. I am just so privileged to taste a little bit of the Lord's cross."

  Praise God for Zhang Yi-nan's release and continue to pray for him as he adjusts to public life after two years in prison.  According to Zhang, State Security Bureau agents told him on September 14 that the only reason he had not been sentenced to a longer term was because of international pressure.  Glenn Penner, spokesman for VOMC, said, "Brother Zhang's release is evidence of the power of public advocacy.  We thank all who have prayed and intervened on his behalf.  We also urge the Chinese government to release all other prisoners of faith like Mr. Zhang."

  Pray that the authorities will allow Brother Zhang freedom in carrying out his life and ministry.  Pray for the many others who are still imprisoned in China because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

  For more information on the persecution facing China's Church,click here.  A variety of video clips about persecution in China are available on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

• Chinese Priest and Seminarian Arrested

  Father Pang Yongxing and a recent seminary graduate, Ma Yongjiang, were arrested by security forces in Qing Yuan county, about 100 kilometres south of Beijing, on the afternoon of September 2, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation.  In 2001, Father Pang had been sentenced to three years in a labour camp.  He was released a year ago.  Pang and Ma have been serving about 800 members of the underground Catholic Church in Qing Yuan county.

  Pray for Pang, Ma and many other Christian leaders presently imprisoned for their faith in China.  Pray for physical and emotional strength as they frequently face physical and psychological torture.

  For more information on the suffering of China's Christians,click here.