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Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China

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Topic: Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China
Posted By: News Room
Subject: Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China
Date Posted: 05/04/2016 at 12:01pm

Martyrdom highlights state of religious freedom in China

PUBLISHED ON 2 May, 2016 BY https://www.mnnonline.org/author/ruth/" title="Posts by Ruth Kramer" rel="author - Ruth Kramer

China (MNN) – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its http://www.uscirf.gov/reports-briefs/annual-report - 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

(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 https://www.mnnonline.org/news/cpc-list-omit-iraq-syria / - absence of Syria and Iraq is significant; however, notes the https://www.mnnonline.org/mission_groups/voice-of- the-martyrs-usa/ - Voice of the Martyrs USA and https://www.mnnonline.org/mission_groups/open-door s-with-brother-andrew/ - 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 http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%20Annual%20 Report%202015%20%282%29.pdf - 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

(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: http://www.chinaaid.org/2016/04/authorities-charge-church-wi th-illegal.html - 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. http://www.chinaaid.org/2016/04/henan-church-wins-rights-to- land-where.html - 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

(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: http://www.mnnonline.org/ -



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Posted By: News Room
Date Posted: 05/04/2016 at 12:10pm

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.”

Coffin of wife of Chinese pastor ChinaAidShe 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:

Bob Fu founder of China AidChina 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.

Dan Wooding reporting from Tiananmen Square in BeijingAbout 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.


Posted By: News Room
Date Posted: 05/04/2016 at 1:41pm

Pastor's Wife Buried Alive In China Church Crackdown

In China's Henan province, a demolition crew reportedly killed a pastor's wife as she tried to stop the destruction of their church.

http://www.chinaaid.org/ - 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 http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/april/pastors-wife-bu ried-alive-in-china-church-crackdown - Link>



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