spread crack down against rapidly expanding congregations, BosNewsLife learned Saturday, October 18.
The United States based Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), which investigates religious persecution, said Liu Feng Guang was arrested earlier this week by Public Security Bureau (PSB) authorities in Zhejiang Province, China.
Liu reportedly traveled last week to the region to meet with underground church leaders, including some recently released after almost two months in custody.
Zhejiang PSB officers and Beijing police, "searched Liu’s apartment in Beijing and confiscated 36 items, including two computers, his address book, cameras, documents and other items," VOM said.
SERIOUS CHARGES
His wife, Bi Yu-xia, was told that her husband was facing serious charges for "leaking national secrets" to those outside of China, the human rights organization added.
VOM said iT has learned the phone and fax numbers for the Xiao Shan PSB office, which is believed to have ordered the arrest of Brother Liu.
"American Christians are encouraged to send a fax on his behalf, and Chinese-speakers are encouraged to call. The phone number of the office, when dialed from the US, is 011-86-571-82622514. The fax number is 011-86-571-82377550," the organization said.
"Please pray for our Christian brother, his wife and four-year-old son," urged VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton, "The Chinese government doesn’t want the world to know how they treat people of faith, and this case shows how far they will go to silence those who speak out."
OTHERS ALSO ARRESTED
His arrest came on the heels of the detention of three prominent house church members last month. One of them, Ding Guizhen, a house church Christian in Henan Province, was released last Saturday, October 11, after "15 days of so-called Administrative Detention."
But her husband, Zhang Yi-nan along with Mr. Xiao Bi-guang, remain behind bars in the notorious Detention Center of Lushan County in Henan Province, VOM said.
Their case is being directed from the provincial Public Security Bureau (PSB) headquarters and the Bureau of State Security, which the human rights watchdog has described as "the Chinese equivalent of the CIA."
They are believed to have been charged with "conspiracy to subvert the national government and socialist system," which could carry a prison term of at least five years and possible a death sentence.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERN
The latest developments have underscored international concern about the persecution of Christians throughout China, many of whom are held in prisons and labor camps for many years.
Some, including Pastor Gong Shengliang were sentenced to be executed last December, but a re-trial was ordered by the Hubei Province Supreme Court. The second trial in october resulted in a sentence of life in prison.
"We have seen with the overturning of the first verdict that international pressure can affect this case," explained VOM Spokesman Todd Nettleton. "We urge American Christians to contact Chinese authorities and ask that Gong be released, or at the very least be allowed full participation in preparing his appeal."
SPREADING THE GOSPEL
Others have been sentenced to prison terms for their role in spreading the Gospel, human rights workers say. VOM said they include Aiqing Zhu, now in her forties, who was arrested for "illegal evangelistic activities" on June 9, 1996 and is serving a twenty-year prison term in the Public Security Department Xiang Xiang City of Hu Nan Province.
Ping Li was 22 was detained on the same charge in April 1996, and sentenced to fifteen years in jail, VOM added. Zhong Chen was 32 when arrested for "illegal evangelistic activities, and disturbing social safety" in the year 2000, but a prison term is yet unknown.
Baishun Bao, also in his 20’s, was arrested for "illegal preaching" in the same year and still serves a four -year prison term in the Public Security Department Xing An Meng Ke Yu Qian Qi of Nei Meng Gu Province.
"JESUS FAMILY"
In addition to Zhen Yunsu, leader of the popular "Jesus Family" religious community in Duoyigou, Shandong province, Christian Zheng was arrested in June 1992 with thirty-six other community members, including his four sons, VOM said.
Their arrests are thought to be the result of the community’s May 1992 efforts to prevent security forces from tearing down their church. The elder Zheng was charged with holding "illegal" religious meetings, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.
He is thought to be held at the Shengjian Motorcycle Factory labor camp near Jinan city. Public Security Bureau officials raided the church compound in June 1992, leveled the church and confiscated personal property.
Scholars and human rights workers have linked the measures to concern among Communist authorities about the growing number of Christians in China which is said to experience the largest church growth in the world.
VOM has urged Christians around the world, and especially those in America, to continue to pray for China and to send "polite" protest letters to the Chinese authorities.
