province amid a major government crackdown on Chinese house churches, a human rights group said Tuesday, August 9. China Aid Association (CAA) told BosNewsLife that the two American students from Texas and California, whose names were not revealed, joined a group of over 210 Chinese pastors and believers who it said have been arrested in Hubei and Henan provinces since July.
A 400-member house church in Shanghai was ordered to close on July 26 on charges of holding "illegal meetings", CAA said. The term ‘house churches’ refers to millions of Christians who are often forced to worship in secret at homes and other locations across the country as they refuse to only gather in state approved churches, which are supporting the Communist government.
CAA said the American tourists were detained at 9:30 am on August 2 they were preparing to have a worship service with 41 Chinese House church pastors and believers at their host family home in Lutou Town in Hubei Province.
"RUSHING INTO HOUSE"
About 30 Chinese plain-clothed police officers "rushed into the house" and "according to several eyewitness reports, the two American theological students, believed to be from Westminster Theological Seminary Campuses in Texas and California, were handled very unprofessionally."
CAA claimed that one American "sustained injuries to his wrists after being handcuffed because
he wanted to put his shoes on before he was forced into an unmarked police car."
Chinese police have refused to reveal their identifications and the two students not permitted to contact the US Embassy or show their passports and other Identification cards, CAA claimed. The American embassy was not immediately available for comment.
CAA said both were taken to a government "hotel" for interrogation. "They were released at 5 pm following a 7 hour interrogation. Without explanation, some of their belongings, including their personal bibles, notebooks, and books on Westminster Confession of Faith were confiscated," said CAA, which has close contacts with persecuted Christians in China.
"UNPRCEDENTED" MOVE
"To handcuff innocent American tourists and mistreat them is unprecedented, totally unacceptable and certainly deserves strong diplomatic condemnation," said CAA President Bob Fu.
The rest of the group, described as Chinese pastors and believers from the evangelical South China Church, were taken to a prison. Most were released after "many of them were tortured", except for 11 believers who remain detained, CAA claimed.
There was no immediate reaction from Chinese officials to the allegations. However China has in the past rejected United States State Department claims of mistreatment of religious and political prisoners, BosNewsLife monitored.
Among those imprisoned are 38-year-old Ms. Wang Hua, 32-year-old Ms. Wang Xiao, as well as the hostess of the house church meeting, 60-year old Ms. Ren Daoyun, who was "repeatedly beaten" by police CAA said.
WOMAN KICKED
One officer allegedly "kicked" Ren and also "punched her face, and beat her head against the wall with a prison chair," CAA said, citing witnesses. Another 17-year old Chinese evangelist, Mr He Baobao, was hospitalized for a serious nose bleed due to the repeated beatings by his interrogators, CAA said.
In addition security forces reportedly confiscated hundreds of dollars in local currently from the and a television from the family hosting the house church gathering and from the pockets of believers.
The latest arrests came after 100 Christian high school students were briefly detained in Hebei province on July 22 for attending Vocational Bible School organized by their Christian parents, CAA said.
Earlier on July 1 about 70 house church members of a church performing baptisms for new believers were reportedly arrested at Zhaolou Village in Henan province before being released after paying fines of about $35 in Chinese currency.
PASTOR DETAINED
Ten of them including Pastor Wang Baode were sentenced to 15-days administrative detention, CAA said.
"To disrupt and close normal Christian fellowship meetings, as well as confiscate personal property is contrary to the government’s claim to guarantee religious freedom in China," said Bob Fu, the president of
CAA…We urge people of all faiths to take action to protest the mistreatment and torture of these pastors and demand their immediate release."
It said letters of protest may be sent to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC: Ambassador Yang Jiechi, Embassy of the People’ Republic of China 2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008. (With: Stefan J. Bos in Bangkok, and reports from China).
