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Topic: Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China
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Posted: 05/04/2016 at 12:01pm
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Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China
China (MNN) – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its annual report today.
According to it, among the worst violators of religious freedom, in the
Top Tier of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC): Burma, China,
Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan.
 (Photo courtesy China Aid/ Beitou Church pastor, Li Jiangong) Both USCIRF and the U.S. State Department release annual
reports on international religious freedom, but each has different
purposes.
The State Department’s report documents religious freedom violations
in every country in the world. USCIRF’s Annual Report recommends
countries to be designated as “countries of particular concern,” which
the Executive Branch considers on policy issues.
Among the key USCIRF findings, religious freedom deteriorated during
the past year, with abuses committed by governments and non-state
actors. A non-state actor is an influential organization that causes
change even though they do not belong to any established institution of a
state. (An example is ISIS.) The USCIRF also monitored a marked
increase in social intolerance.
Under Countries of Particular Concern, the absence of Syria and Iraq is significant; however, notes the Voice of the Martyrs USA and Open Doors USA,
that’s due less to government oppression and more to the insurgency of
ISIS. Also observed — the impact of the resulting global refugee crisis.
China’s religious freedom problems
The dichotomy in China proved interesting in this year’s USCIRF
account. There have been stories about religious freedom in the Three
Self Patriotic Movement government-registered churches.
However, according to USCIRF:
“The Chinese government represses those advocating for
human rights and religious freedom and the human rights defenders who
bravely represent them. The US must underscore with China that
global leadership must goes hand-in-hand with the respect for and
protection of religious freedom and related human rights.”
Todd Nettleton, a spokesman with the Voice of the Martyrs USA,
concurs. “We have seen over the last two-year period, a ramping up,
starting in Zhejiang Province with church buildings being demolished,
and crosses being torn down.” The Central Government is using the
provincial government in Zhejiang as an example, he explains. “’That’s
how we want you to do it too. Look, they’re doing a great job. We want
everyone else to do it like they’re doing it’.”
 (Photo courtesy China Aid/ Island Head Church demolition) The question is: why? It’s all about control, observes Nettleton.
“They want control of religious expression. They want you to be a good
Communist first. After that, you can be a good Buddhist, or Christian
or whatever, that’s your business, as long as you’re a good Communist
first.” Since Communism makes demands of a citizen that can run counter
to God’s Word, there is an obvious conflict on the make.
As of late, the Zhejiang government has been using violation of
‘beautification’ codes and land ownership questions as the impetus
behind its campaign of church destruction, at 1,500 so far. The latest: Beitou Church in the central Henan province. Nettleton
explains, “The bulldozers were sent in to demolish a church building,
and the pastor and his wife stood in front of the bulldozer. If we think
back to Tiananmen Square and the man standing in front of the tank,
it’s really very similar. They said ‘No. you’re not going to destroy
this church unless you’re willing to destroy us first.’”
Unlike the Tiananmen Square outcome, “The demolition crew
pushed them into a hole and pushed dirt over them. The pastor was able
to dig himself out; his wife though, was not, and she died in that
attack.”
Her death has become a rallying cry against persecution at the hands
of the Beijing government. “The international community is looking at
this and saying ‘how can you even say there’s religious freedom when
people are being killed because they won’t let you tear down their
church buildings?’ I think now China is saying, ‘this is making us look
really bad’, and so they’re backing away a little bit.” Two demolition
workers were arrested in the woman’s death. Plus, he says, the task force in the city has now ruled that that property actually does belong to the church. “‘It is their property. The building shouldn’t have been destroyed.’”
 (Photo courtesy China Aid/ Yingmochen Church members) Yet, this incident underscores the Chinese government’s increasing
pressure on Christians. VOM supports printing operations to help meet
the demand for Bibles, Sunday school materials and other Christian
literature. For men like this pastor who lost his wife, Nettleton asks
you to pray. He concludes with this thought: “Regardless of
what the PR spin is, there is not religious freedom in China. There are
Christians there who are being persecuted right now, simply because they
are following Jesus Christ.”
Source: Mission Network
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China: Henan Church Wins Rights to Land Where Pastor's
Wife Was Killed
By
Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service
ZHUMADIAN,
HENAN, CHINA (ANS – May 4, 2016) -- On Monday, April 25, 2016, less
than two weeks after a Christian woman died from being buried alive at a forced
church demolition, local authorities ruled that the disputed land where the
incident took place belongs to the church and its pastor for use as a religious
site.
“Following
international outcry condemning the April 14 [2016] killing of Ding Cuimei, wife
of Beitou Church’s pastor Li Jiangong, a special task force consisting of the
township government, the local ministry of land and resources and a village
administrative committee declared that the land where the incident took place is
the property of Li Jiangong and Beitou Church,” revealed a story by Ava Collins
for China Aid (www.chinaaid.org).
“A
report issued by the task force declares that no individual or other
organization should claim land from the church, and designates the site for
religious use.
“Despite
the victory for his church, Li Jiangong is concerned about the lack of action
regarding his wife’s death. Though two members of the demolition crew were
criminally detained at the time of the incident, authorities have released no
information regarding their possible charges. The investigative bureau has
reportedly taken no further action on the case.”
 She
went on to say that Li Dunyong, a lawyer from Beijing, will represent the family
in the case of Ding’s murder. After an autopsy, Ding’s body was placed in a
preservative case under a temporary tent near the site where she was killed.
“While
we are glad to see that the local authorities acted swiftly and fairly under
international pressure to resolve the church’s right to their land, we are
concerned that justice for the family of the martyr is still not done,” said Bob
Fu, president of China Aid.
“Pastor
Li’s wife, Sister Ding Cuimei, was brutally killed on April 14. We appeal to the
Chinese authorities to hold those criminal perpetrators accountable with a fair
investigation and standard judicial process with full justice and unhindered
legal representation by Beijing based human rights lawyer Li Dunyong.”
About
China Aid:
 China Aid was
founded in 2002 on the announcement of death sentences for five Chinese house
church leaders. In response, a mission was conceived to Expose-Encourage-Equip,
and China Aid issued its first press release after meeting with Members of
Congress and their staff, revealed details of these cases with then-Chinese
president Jiang Zemin, launched its first letter-writing campaign, and sent its
first team of trained human rights lawyers to defend those being persecuted. In
the end, the five death sentences were overturned.
Over
the past 13 years, China Aid's mission has evolved to one of exposing human
rights abuses and promoting truth, justice and freedom by advocating for
religious freedom and the rule of law in China. China Aid continues to endeavor
for the immediate release of prisoners of conscience, equip human rights
defenders and religious and community leaders with religious freedom and rule of
law training, rescue and resettle persecuted leaders and their families,
encourage families of prisoners of conscience by providing financial assistance,
and exposing abuse by featuring unique stories of persecution and injustice on
China Aid's website and through social media.
For
more information, please contact Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director. Cell:
(432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985/ E-mail:
r.ritchie@chinaaid.org .
Website: www.chinaaid.org.
Photo
captions: Li Jiangong. 2) Ding Cuimei’s body has been preserved at the site
where she was killed. (Photo: China Aid). 3) Bob Fu, founder and president of
China Aid. 4) Dan Wooding reporting from Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
 About
the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and
journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now
living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married
for nearly 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren
who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder and international director of the
ASSIST News Service (ANS), and is the author or co-author of some 45 books,
including the best-seller, “God’s Smuggler to China” which he co-wrote with
Brother David and Sara Bruce. Dan has a radio show and two TV shows, all based
in Southern California, and has reported from China on several
occasions.
Edited by News Room on 05/04/2016 at 12:11pm
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Posted: 05/04/2016 at 1:41pm
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Pastor's Wife Buried Alive In China Church CrackdownIn China's Henan province, a demolition crew reportedly killed a
pastor's wife as she tried to stop the destruction of their church.
China Aid, a
Christian agency that speaks out for persecuted Christians in China,
says it's part of a larger crackdown against Christians in Henan, and
China overall.
The pastor and his wife stood in front of a bulldozer to keep it from destroying their church, China Aid reports.
That's when the demolition team leader ordered the driver to push them into the pit and bury them alive.
The pastor escaped, but his wife died of suffocation.
Local police say they are investigating the incident and two members of the demolition team have been detained.
Bob Fu, head of China Aid, said this shows what can happen when
Chinese officials go to extreme lengths to stop the spread of
Christianity.
Chinese Christians say what happened in Henan province shows the
inhumanity of the Chinese government in its efforts to control the
growth of Christian churches in China.
The tension between Chinese Christians and the government is
increasing dramatically as more churches are targeted for demolition.
China Aid says persecution in China jumped 150 percent in the past
year, with nearly 3,000 Christians detained and about 1,300 to jail
terms.
Despite the opposition, Chinese Christians in Henan are pressing forward
in their faith, inspiring others to persevere, as well.
Meanwhile, organizations like China Aid will continue the fight for religious freedom. CBN Link>
Edited by News Room on 05/04/2016 at 1:45pm
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