In addition, anguished Chinese parents said Wednesday, June 4, that they will press ahead with complaints against officials they blame for schools that toppled in the devastating earthquake, after police sought to silence one protest. With China’s "one-child" population controls, many parents lost their only offspring.
Chinese police broke up a demonstration of some 100 parents at a courthouse in Dujiangyan, a small city 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Sichuan province capital of Chengdu, on Tuesday, June 3. The parents were protesting the deaths of their children in allegedly poorly constructed schools during the earthquake, that killed over 270 students in one high school alone, while nearby homes apparently had no or little damage, locals said. Several young children, including orphans, who survived the quake have nightmares and require urgent psychological help, news reports said.
Journalists were reportedly dragged away from Tuesday’s protest and held for questioning until the demonstration had been broken up. Zao Ming, an official from the Foreign Affairs Office of the local government, reportedly said: "This is not a good place to do interviews. In a disaster like this, there will be a lot of opinions. The government will solve their problems."
NOT WELCOME
Christians involved in rescue work and raising funds are also not welcome, said Christian Aid Association (CAA), a Christian advocacy group representing several underground house churches in China. CAA said that as part of a wider crackdown seven Christians were detained Sunday, June 1, in Taikang County of Henan Province.
During interrogation, police officials "questioned the members as to who would be taking donations to the earthquake disaster area," CAA said. One woman and her child were released, but six others remain in detention on charges of "sending money to a disaster area in the name of a house church," the group claimed.
Key police officials, including from China’s Public Security Bureau, have reportedly said they will release the detainees if each of them pays a fine of 1000 Yuan ($144). In addition two Christians were detained May 28 in Henan province’s Hua county on charges of "religious inciting and obstruction to earthquake relief work," CAA said. One person was released on June 2 after paying a 500 Yuan ($72) penalty and gifts worth more than 4000 Yuan ($568) to PSB officers, the group claimed. Another Christian was expected to be released on June 3. There was no immediate reaction from PSB officials.
Earlier, on May 25, police officials from four government agencies allegedly raided prayer services for earth quake victims organized by the Beijing Gospel Church (BGC). Several church members were injured during the apparently violent raids at several gathering sites of the church and homes of its members, while Christian materials were confiscated, the BGC said said in an open letter to the government seen by BosNewsLife. Yet, "we shook hands with the people who hurt us and told them "Jesus loves you." By depending on the Lord, we experienced joy, peace and triumph," the church wrote to the Chinese government.
SEMINARY ARRESTS
Elsewhere a principal and teacher of a house church seminary in Weifang city of Shandong province were again arrested Monday, June 2, after they were released following a May raid. Principal Lu Zhaojun and teacher Jin Xiuxiang were detained when they asked the Public Security Bureau to hand-over official documents of confiscated goods, including a bank card worth 300,000 Yuan ($43,200), Bibles, other Christian literature and a mini van, CAA said.
"They were re-detained and sentenced to one month criminal detention for allegedly committing an illegal business operation," the group claimed. In recent years, the Chinese government has used the charge of "illegal business operation" against house church officials who either managed bookstores or print Bibles. "The house churches deserve the right to do charitable work such as providing relief to earthquake victims," said CAA President Bob Fu. "We urge the Henan government to change its backward mentality from discriminating against those who continue to do good deeds," added Fu, a former house church pastor.
The Chinese government has said Christians are free to worship in official churches but have to obey laws. However most Christians prefer to worship outside government control, which their representatives say is their right under China’s constitution and international treaties. (With reports from China).
