Christian Persecution Documented in New Report on Human Rights in China
The Chinese Government's record on respect for religious freedom remained poor, according to a recently released report on Human Rights practices in China
While the number of religious believers in China continued to grow, the Government's record on respect for religious freedom remained poor, according to a recently released report on Human Rights practices in China. The report—released yesterday by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor—also stated that the repression of members of unregistered religious groups increased in some parts of the country.
Members of unregistered congregations experienced “ongoing and, in some cases, increased official interference, harassment, and repression,” the Bureau stated in the Feb. 28 report. “Government officials increased vigilance against ‘foreign infiltration under the guise of religion.’ The Government detained and prosecuted a number of underground religious figures in both the Protestant and Catholic Church.” Among them, Protestants Liu Fengang, Xu Yonghai, and Zhang Shengqi were sentenced for sending to overseas organizations information that the Government considered sensitive.
Although the extent of religious freedom varied significantly from place to place, the Bureau reported that the Government continued to enforce regulations requiring all places of religious activity to register with the Government. Many provincial authorities required groups seeking to register to come under the supervision of official, "patriotic" religious organizations. While religious worship in many officially registered churches, temples, and mosques occurred without interference, unregistered churches in some areas were reportedly destroyed, religious services were broken up, and church leaders and adherents were harassed, detained, or beaten. At year's end, scores of religious adherents remained in prison because of their religious activities.
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"The Government in many areas intensified pressure against Protestant house churches and their leaders during the year," HRW continued.
Last June, the government-run Legal Daily newspaper reported that Jiang Zongxiu had died in police custody in Guizhou Province after being detained for distributing Bibles. Her body showed signs of physical abuse, and reliable reports indicated that she had been beaten in administrative detention. A Legal Daily editorial comment condemned local officials for mistreating Jiang. Shortly afterwards, dozens of leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship Protestant Church reportedly were detained in Wuhan, Hubei Province, but they were later released.
In July, more than 100 house church leaders from Anhui Province were reportedly detained in Xinjiang while on a religious retreat. The same month, some 40 house church leaders were detained while attending a religious training seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
In August, more than 100 house Christians were reportedly detained while on a religious retreat in Kaifeng, Henan Province. On Aug. 6, Christian activist Liu Fenggang, Beijing homeless advocate Dr. Xu Yonghai, and Jilin Internet writer Zhang Shengqi were convicted and sentenced to 3, 2, and 1 years in prison, respectively, on charges of providing national intelligence overseas. The charges stemmed from an article Liu wrote and allegedly distributed to the foreign-based Chinese Christian magazine Christian Life Quarterly, which discussed persecution of other Chinese Christians and destruction of house churches.
And in December, underground church leader Zhang Rongliang was detained in Henan Province, and his whereabouts remained unknown at year’s end.
Coincidentally, the Bureau's report was released one day before China's new regulations to protect freedom of faith was to take effect. Sources say the guidelines, which take effect today, are meant to give a legal framework for China’s constitutional promise of freedom of religion, however critics contend that the broad guidelines could instead be used to persecute religious groups deemed troublesome by authorities.
