growing pressure on active Christians in the Communist-run Asian nation.
In addition a "prominent Chinese Christian musician has been under house arrest in Beijing [while] multiple arrests of House Church leaders occurred in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Shanxi province," said US-based religious rights group China Aid Association (CAA) which has close contacts with reportedly persecuted Christians.
News of the latest detentions came a day after China condemned the United States for criticizing is record on human rights, arguing that America should instead deal with its own "racial discrimination" and a military that "abused prisoners held at detention centers" abroad.
In a sharply worded response to the annual State Department report on human rights conditions globally, which was released in Washington on Wednesday, March 8, China’s State Council, or Cabinet, said the American government should concentrate on improving its own rights record.
"As in previous years, the State Department pointed the finger at human rights situations in more than 190 countries and regions, including China, but kept silent on the serious violations of human rights in the United States," the Chinese report said.
The section of the State Department’s report dealing with China said rights conditions had worsened there in 2005, and cited "increased harassment, detention, and imprisonment" of people viewed as threats to the government.
PRESS CONTROLLED
The report also criticized alleged tighter controls on the Chinese press and more assertive censorship of all kinds of media, including the Internet.
CAA suggested to BosNewsLife that especially Chinese Christians continue to face harassments including in Qiaozhuang Village of Henan Province where a registered Protestant church "was raided by officers of the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB)."
CAA said that "three church leaders were taken into custody including Pastor Liu Tuanjie, 34, Mr. Li Xueqin, 52, and Ms. Ma" whose first name was not available. "While Pastor Liu and Mr. Li are still in custody, Ms. Ma was released after her family paid a 3000 yuan ($400) fine," the group added.
Four PSB officers reportedly surrounded the church building where about 50 believers were receiving Bible training from Pastor Liu, who is from Shangshui County in Henan Province. The PSB apparently declared the gathering an ‘illegal evil cult’" despite its links to an official church.
DOUBLE TALK
"The attack on the registered church and arrest of her pastors certainly demonstrates the Chinese government’s double talk when it promises to protect the church in exchange for registration," said CAA President Bob Fu, a former House Church leader who escaped to the United States in a statement to BosNewsLife.
Unless there is explicit permission from a higher authority even government approved clergies are forbidden to minister in a different city other than his so-called designated area.
Meanwhile a prominent Christian musician in Beijing, Su Wenxing, was placed under house arrest, CAA said. The 34-year-old musician is regarded as one of the best conductors in the country for oratorio and religious songs.
In 2001, he reportedly conducted the full-length of the Messiah of composer George Frederic Handel in Chinese at the Beijing Concert Hall, which was the first time that work was sung in Chinese in a theater since the Communists took control in 1949.
"THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE"
In 2002, the Choir of National Symphony Orchestra and the China Film Symphony Orchestra performed the full-length Messiah under Su’s baton and "won thunderous applause" at the Forbidden City Concert Hall, CAA recalled.
Rights investigators said the Chinese government is concerned over Su’s Christian faith and the fact that he conducts the Messiah every year during the holiday season. Su was born to an ethnic Miao family in Shaoyang in Central China’s Hunan Province. His mother was a well-known Miao folk singer.
"In April 2004, the Chinese central government cancelled an "Easter Chorus" and other works with the China National Orchestra when Mr. Su was scheduled to conduct the performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Beijing Music Hall," CAA said. "Many foreign diplomats in Beijing were very dismayed that they were not able to attend that event. A source familiar with this case told CAA that Mr. Su was told by two government security agents that he had been closely observed for two years."
The two agents who stand 24-hour guard at the door of Su’s apartment have formally warned him he would be arrested unless he stops with what they called "provocative (evangelistic) activities" through his Christian themed music performed within house churches in China and worldwide, CAA said.
MUSIC SCHOOL
"Last year Su conducted an evangelistic music concert for 10,000 people in Singapore. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied Su’s registration application for his Christian music school called Canaan Music School," the human rights group added.
These are no isolated incidents. Last month China on February 13 reportedly raided several House Churches in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. CAA said over a dozen church leaders were arrested.
"Most of them were released after being detained for a few days [but] Pastor Lou Yuanqi is still held at Huocheng County Detention Center," CAA explained. In addition in Shanxi Province, "two House Church leaders were taken into custody on March 6 from their homes by PSB officers…Both Pastor Ruan Yonggui and Pastor Liu Fukao belong to a well-known House Church group called China Gospel Fellowship," the group added.
"We urge the Chinese government to immediately release these innocent Christian leaders," CAA’s Fu said. CAA said letters of protest and concern can be sent to the Chinese Embassy in the United States. Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008. (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from China).
