House Church Leader from Anhui Released from Custody; Report on New Crackdown Concerned
(May 29, 2004)
Well-known house church leader Zhao Wenquan was released from custody Tuesday, 14 days after his May 9 arrest in Hegou Town, Meng Cheng County, Anhui Province. (boxun.com)
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CAA investigators in China say Zhao suffered only “minor beatings” during his incarceration, and was in good spirits after his release. Members of his house church group expressed their thankfulness for international prayer and protest after Zhao’s arrest.
“CAA welcomes the release of pastor Zhao” said Bob Fu, CAA’s president. “This is a positive response to the international concern.”
Zhao was arrested when the Domestic Security Protection Division Team of the Meng Cheng County PSB raided a group of more than 4000 Christians gathered for a special harvest celebration. It appears that his 14-day “administrative detention” will be the only punishment for his involvement in this gathering. The original charges of “disturbing the social order” and organizing an “illegal religious gathering” appear to have been dropped after the international outcry, according to CAA’s investigators.
Zhao, who is more than 60 years old, has been working in China’s unregistered churches for more than 30 years.
About a dozen other church leaders who escaped arrest on the day of the harvest celebration are still on the run.
Meanwhile, CAA deeply concerns over the news from China showing signs of new campaign against unregistered religious institutions. According to Yangcheng Evening, a very influential newspaper in southern China, a “Provincial Religious Working Conference” was held in Guangdong Province from May 20-21, attended by the province’s Communist Party General Secretary and one of the Politburo member of CCP. The official report of the conference calls for every level of government to work together “to subdue the religious penetration of antagonistic overseas forces in the name of religion.”
Also, an overseas Chinese news web site is reporting that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has issued a national directive to crack down on house churches. (http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2004/05/200405230120.shtml)
“This so-called ‘overseas penetration charge’ could be used as another pretext to crackdown the unregistered religious institutions,” said Bob Fu. “These reports show that, while the release of pastor Zhao is good news, the true religious freedom in China is still a long way to go.”
China Aid Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 263,
Glenside, PA 19038 USA
Tel: +1-215-886-5210
Fax: 215-886-1668
Email: bobfu@ChinaAid.org
Web address: www.ChinaAid.org
(boxun.com)
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