By Ann Noonan, policy director for the Laogai Research Foundation.

May 25, 2001 8:55 a.m. In a move as farcical as it is sad, leaders of China's government-controlled churches have criticized the Second Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, proclaiming that it "distorts facts with ulterior motives" and "interferes in China's internal affairs."

The Commission on International Religious Freedom, established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-292), monitors religious freedom in other countries and advises the president, the Secretary of State, and Congress on how best to promote it. According to the Commission's May report, "The Commission's concern has been validated by the deteriorating religious-freedom situation in China over the last year. Thus the Commission urges the U.S. government to work vigorously to promote religious freedom in China by making its concern known to the Chinese government and by working to secure substantial improvements."

This U.S. Commission Report follows a year in which international headlines reported "PRC Officials tell AFP 1,200 Temples Destroyed or Closed During Crackdown"; "Crackdown at Christmas Dims Holiday for Chinese: Regional Assault on Illegal Churches Worst in Decades"; and "3,000 Temples, Churches in Wenzhou Reportedly Closed Down, Demolished."

Even though China's state-run media has confirmed such atrocities, Yu Xinli, deputy-president of the China Christian Council, said earlier this month: "Today in China, Chinese Christians enjoy the freedom to conduct religious activities -- it serves as a good example of how good the situation is."

At great personal risk, House Church Christians inside China are reporting that all of the information and facts of the Commission's report are based on the truth. Many Christians inside China refuse to register with the state-controlled church, insisting that the head of their church is God -- not the godless [party's name omitted]. They reject their government's regulations that forbid them from teaching about the Second Coming of Jesus. The Commission's report explains, "Bishop Ding Guangxum, the concurrent honorary president of the official Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) for the Protestant churches in China and the Christian Council of China, reportedly has introduced a 'new theology' that seeks to de-emphasize the differences between believers and non-believers and to ensure that doctrines of the official Chinese Protestant churches are compatible with socialist ideology. One important feature of this theology is the denial of the fundamental Christian doctrine of salvation by faith."

After reviewing the Commission's Report, House Church Christians inside China are encouraged that they are neither abandoned nor forgotten. They implore, "The persecution here has never ceased. We need the U.S. efforts to continue to investigate and let the outside world know the real situation in China and not to be deceived by Trinity Broadcast Network, Benny Hinn, and those organizations and persons hired by China's [pary's name omitted] officials. Many people are hired by China's government to build up connections between the government's official Three-Self Church and every big Christian church in the U.S. The Chinese government boasts of how proud they are with their public-relations work -- 'before those easily deceived and silly Americans' ... but they will continue to treat us, their own brothers and sisters the same way as before."

Protesting the U.S. Commission's Report, Fu Tieshan, chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, said, "Catholic followers in China enjoy freedom of religion." Nevertheless, many believe that China's Patriotic leaders are failing their duties to their "flocks," either by overlooking repression, or being genuinely unaware of suffering because of their government's suppression of information. In April alone, the following known Loyal Catholic clerics and faithful were arrested: Bishop Shi Enxiang, 79 of Yixian, Hebei -- arrested on Good Friday; Fr. Li Jianbo, 34, Inner Mongolia -- arrested; Fr. Lu Genjun, 39, Baoding, Hebei -- sentenced to laogai for 3 years; Fr. Yin -- Hebei, sentenced to laogai for 3 years; one priest in Fujian -- arrested; one priest in Jiangxi -- arrested; 13 underground Loyal Catholic laypeople -- arrested April 13th.

[...]

Regarding Tibet, the U.S. Commission reports: "Chinese authorities maintain tight control over religious activity and places of worship in Tibet and reportedly have increased some restrictions in the last year. The government remains suspicious of Tibetan Buddhism because of its link with the Dalai Lama." An exiled Tibetan monk from the Amdo region who was imprisoned for 24 years states, "Life in Tibet is a total disaster, and we are in need of help." [...]

[...]

Most faith communities do not recognize geographical boundaries, and do not share the political tensions that have broiled between the U.S. and China. If China's official faith leaders could recognize that their communities extend beyond their country's walls, they might gain powerful, new allies to repel the PRC's campaign of religious persecution.

To learn more about the PRC's assault on religious freedoms, visit www.freechurchforchina.org.

Posting date: 5/26/2001
Original article date: 5/25/2001
Category: News & Media Reports

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