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**RSC Policy Brief:**

**Religious Persecution in China**

*July 1, 2008*

In light of the upcoming 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, there has been
increased scrutiny into religious persecution taking place in
China---particularly the persecution of Christians. As such, a new
report has been released by the [China Aid
Association](http://chinaaid.org/) (CAA), a non-profit Christian
organization whose mission is to detail religious persecution in China.
Their most recent report shows that there is an increase in the
regulation and attack on unregistered protestant churches, increased
persecution of Christians in China, and a new prohibition of religious
groups at the Olympics.

**[Summary of Report]{.underline}**

[China: Persecution of Protestant Christians in the Approach to the
Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games](http://chinaaid.org/pdf/Pre-Olympic_CHina_Persecution_Report_in_English_June2008.pdf)

"The approach of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has been accompanied by
a significant deterioration in religious freedom for China's
unregistered Protestant Church, also known as the house church. China
continues to seriously restrict religious freedom, requiring religious
activity to take place within the confines of the restrictive
state-controlled bodies. Those practicing their faith outside these
bodies risk sanction, with penalties including discrimination, fines,
confiscation and destruction of property, arrest, humiliating treatment,
torture, imprisonment and forced labour. Alongside these punishments,
meetings are raided, Bibles and religious materials are confiscated and
churches are destroyed."

**Background:**

-   "Although China permits official, registered churches to function,
    the government-sanctioned church organization, the Three Self
    Patriotic Movement (TSPM), suffers restrictions on selection and
    training of clergy, location of venues, publications, finances and
    relationships with Christians abroad." There are also restrictions
    on working with certain classes of people, including those aged
    eighteen and younger. Religious education in government-sanctioned
    seminaries is severely restricted.

-   As a result of the control by the atheist Chinese government, many
    Christians choose to worship in unregistered churches---becoming the
    largest group to suffer from government persecution. Members of an
    unregistered church are often classified as belonging to a cult, and
    are subjected to harsh penalties by the Chinese government.

-   Due to Chinese regulations, only a certain number of Bibles and
    Christian reading materials are allowed to be printed. Furthermore,
    the Bibles are only distributed by the official
    government-sanctioned church organization---the TSPM---which is
    itself often the source of persecutions. According to Chinese law,
    it is unlawful to sell Bibles at public bookstores or other public
    facilities, causing many Pastors, who have printed for their church
    community, to be arrested and imprisoned.

**Pre-Olympic Crackdown on Unregistered Protestant Churches:**

-   According to CAA, the advent of the 2008 Beijing Olympics has
    corresponded with an increase in persecution of unregistered
    churches and Christians in China. This increase persecution is
    marked by the largest mass sentencing of church leaders in 25 years,
    a level of expulsion of foreign Christians not seen since the 1950s,
    and targeted repression of the Chinese House Church Alliance.

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-   Despite comments made by President Hu Jintao assuring Chinese
    citizens that they have religious freedom, regular raids of
    Christian meetings continue to take place. According to CAA,

> "In May 2008 two independent sources informed China Aid Association
> (CAA) that the Ministry of Public Security has received funding from
> the Chinese Central Government to increase its campaign of eradicating
> house churches throughout China. Reports have been received of planned
> intensified persecution, with greater control and prevention of large
> Christian gatherings also anticipated. It is feared that harsher
> persecution will take place after the Olympics."

-   The report lists numerous measure taken against unregistered
    churched in Beijing, including the following:

> "On 9 May 2008 Pastor Dong Yutao, a leader of one of the largest
> Beijing house churches, Beijing City Revival Church, was arrested
> while on his way to collect a shipment of Bibles. He was placed under
> criminal detention by Beijing Public Security Bureau officials for
> receiving illegally printed Bibles and religious literature.
>
> "On 11 May 2008 uniformed policemen and plain-clothed detectives broke
> into the regular worship service at Shouwang Church, in the Huajie
> Building near the Third Ring Road in Beijing. A plain-clothed law
> enforcement officer showed his identification from Haidian District
> Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and ordered the church to stop
> its activities. Members of the church were ordered to leave the
> premises as the gathering was illegal.
>
> "On 25 May 2008, at approximately 9.30am, various house church
> gathering sites connected to the nearly 1,000-strong Beijing Gospel
> Church, were raided by officials from four government agencies,
> including the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs ... Officials
> forcibly entered and searched the homes of house church members
> without presenting search warrants or proper documentation and
> proceeded to confiscate religious materials. Some of those targeted
> sustained minor injuries from violence by officials. Although the
> officials' actions were illegal, the house church members complied
> with their demands, even shaking their hands and pronouncing a
> blessing on them. Victims of the attacks described the incident in an
> open letter to government officials, in which they cite various laws
> which have been breached."

-   China has issued new restrictions against house
    churches---pressuring them to disband and leave Beijing. Many church
    leaders believe that this new tactic is meant to persecute
    Christians before the Beijing Olympics.

-   The Ministry of Public Security of the Chinese Government has issued
    a general order that "all those from China and overseas who will
    participate in the Olympic Games, including athletes, media and
    sponsors, are to be strictly checked" and Ministry officials have
    released a "blacklist" document outlining what actions are allowed,
    and what materials are to be permissible.

-   According to CAA, "Beijing house church leader Pastor Cai Zhuohua,
    who was released in September 2007 after serving three years
    imprisonment for "illegal business practices" for production of
    Christian literature, was forced to work ten to twelve hours a day
    making soccer balls for the 2008 Beijing Olympics while in prison."

**Trends:**

-   CAA has reported that there was a rise of [30.4%]{.underline} in the
    number of Christians persecuted last year compared with 2006.

-   There is a rise in persecution of foreign Christians, as China
    conducts the largest expulsion of foreign Christians since the
    1950s.

-   Individuals involved in the production of Christian publications
    have been accused of "illegal business practices."

-   The Chinese government even refuses to accept humanitarian aid,
    social support, and financial support from Christians in China.
    After the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province, requests from
    Christians (whether free or in custody) to volunteer and assist
    those affected have been turned down by Chinese officials. In fact,
    six church members were held in detention under the charge of
    sending money to a disaster area in the name of a house church.
    These church members are being held until they pay a fine.

**Individuals of Concern:**

-   In the report, CAA has included brief accounts of individuals whose
    lives are currently being compromised by the Chinese government.
    Many of these individuals are being persecuted and detained by the
    Chinese government. The list of these individuals and their
    situations can be found
    [here](http://chinaaid.org/pdf/Pre-Olympic_CHina_Persecution_Report_in_English_June2008.pdf).

**[Additional Information and Resources on Persecution in
China]{.underline}**

Wall Street Journal: [Christian Groups Step Delicately in
Sichuan](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121208455251929967.html)

Christian News Wire: [Chinese Persecution of House Churches
Intensifies](http://christiannewswire.com/news/730286740.html)

The Vancouver Sun: [China persecuting Christians:
report](http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=d8533644-fc48-47f3-ae79-b21f92299a9a)

Wall Street Journal: [China Opens Doors To Quake Relief, But Not
Missionaries](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121219778639834739.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

Epoch Times: [President of China Interim Government Demands Human Rights
for All Chinese](http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-6-13/71791.html)

Times Online: [China gives blessing to Olympic
Bibles](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4175389.ece)

**[RSC Staff Contact]{.underline}**: Sarah Makin;
<sarah.makin@mail.house.gov>; 202-226-0718.