Photo: Handcuffs used on Pastor Jin Jirong

Contact: Bob Fu, China Aid Association, Inc., 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org

MIDLAND, Tx., July 25 /Christian Newswire/ --  CAA learned 4 well-known House Church leaders in Sichuan are Likely Sent to Labor Camp after they were detained on June 27, 2006. 10 House Church believers in Hubei received formal administrative detention from 10 to 15 days respectively.

The four Pastors LI Ming, WANG Yuan, LI Mingbo and JIN Jirong are major leaders of the Chinese House Church Alliance. They were detained on June 27 after they went to the local police station to try to free the other 14 believers who were taken away when they had a Christian worship service early that morning.

The four didn’t receive their detention notice until July 16 which is a direct violation of the relevant Chinese law which states the detainee should be notified within 24 hours of the detention.

7 of the 14 believers received formal administrative detention for more than 5 days. Dr. Li Baiguang, well-known Christian rights defender who met with President Bush in the White House in May went to Langzhong city and filed the legal administrative appeal in behalf of the 7 believers. Sources told CAA the PSB of Langzhong city has been pressuring and threatening the 7 believers to withdraw their appeal by accusing them “engaging open smear campaign against government offices.” The 4 leaders will likely be sentenced to re-education through labor which means they usually have to work up to 12 to 18 hours a day for three years in a labor camp. (Read the full reports and legal paper written by Dr. LI Baiguang at www.ChinaAid.org at “Special Report” section).

According to eyewitness reports, in the morning of June 27, 2006, house church leaders, Li Ming, Wang Yuan, Li Mingbo and Jin Jirong went to reason with the Langzhong Police. The witnesses recalled that 66-year-old Jin Jirong was beaten and his ankle was injured. Li Ming requested the Police to send Jin Jirong to the hospital for treatment, but the policemen refused and required the Christians to send Jin to hospital. Then the policemen went to another room after a police car arrived. Soon after, the policemen went out, saying they would give them an answer, and concentrated all the people in a big room. After all the people entered the room, the policemen blocked the backdoor, then they pulled down the roller shutter in the front of the room, three of them blocked another door in the front. At that time, four more police cars arrived. After that, someone outside shouted, “Who is Li Ming?” Li Ming answered, “I am.” Upon his words, three policemen pounced at him, beat and kicked him violently, then dragged him out the door, threw him to the ground and beat him. The witnesses present said they only heard Li Ming’s crying “You are killing me!” The police immediately choked Li to silence him, then pushed him into a police car and sent him to the First Detention House of Langzhong.

Witnesses said when the police beat Li Ming, and he cried “you are killing me,” Jin Jirong went to stop the police, without saying a word, he pounced at Jin Jirong. Among them, one policeman swung his fists to hit Jin’s head and shoulder. Three policemen beat Jin in turn, and then dragged him into a car and sent him to the First Detention House of Langzhong.

Witnesses described the circumstances when Wan Yuan was arrested: At the time, three policemen sprang at Wang Yuan and beat him. When Wang Yuan cried out, they choked him to silence him, then threw him on the ground and continued to beat him until he couldn’t move. Then, they dropped Wang Yuan in an enclosed vehicle painted with “garrison.” After Wang Yuan arrived at the Public Security Bureau, he could not stop vomiting. Wang Yuan asked the Police to send him to the hospital; they said Wang was pretending to be hurt. At last he was sent to the First Detention House of Langzhong instead of the hospital.

At the end of June 2006, the Public Security Bureau of Langzhong announced that they would hold a citywide Cultural-Revolutionary-style - thousand-man conference criticizing Li Ming, Wang Yuan, Li Mingbo and Jin Jirong, the leaders of the house church of Langzhong. At the conference, they would announce criminal detention, reeducation through labor or arrest against the four. Dr. LI Baiguang went to Langzhong from Beijing, in order to witness the “pomp.” The Christians of the house church of Langzhong also fully prepared for the conference, planning to record it. Maybe because international media revealed the persecution against local house churches in advance, the Public Security Bureau of Langzhong has yet to hold the conference.

CAA also learned that 10 believers in Hubei province received 10 to 15 days administrative detention after they were detained in July 21. The raid and arrests happened around 1 PM on July 21st, when 43 Christians were having their fellowship meeting at a reception family in Shen Fan village, Chen Dian Town, Anlu city, Hubei province.

The police also confiscated at least 5 mobile phones, an unknown amount of cash still in the tether box, and all the Christian books at site. All these were just taken away without any receipt.

Following is some detailed information of the Christians who were taken to the Public Security Bureau in Anlu City:

2 were punished by 15 days of detention and imposed fines of 1000 yuan, they are:

Chen Zhongxin, male, 48 years old, from 2nd team,  Bailian village, Paifang township,  XiaoChang county  

Gong Quan , male, 53 years old, from Liangzhuang team, Nanquan village, Sanlihe township, Queshan county, Zhuamadain city, Henan province

8 were punished by 10 days of detention, they are:

Luo Shishu , female,  48 years old, from 12th team, Zhangdian villag, Jidian township,  XiaoChang county 

Zhang Jianfang, female,  51 years old, from 1st team, Dasheng villag, Huaxi township,  XiaoChang county 

Hu yuzhen, female,  43 years old, from 1st team, Dasheng villag, Huaxi township,  XiaoChang county 

Sun Yaozhou, male, 33 years old, from 1st team, Shen Fan village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

Fang Aiwen, male, 27 years old, from 4th team, Shen Fan village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

He Guiwan , male, 49 years old, from 5th team, Hehu village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

He Yuhua , male, 52 years old, from  3rd team, Hehu village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

Shi Gane , female, 47 years old, from 1st team, Sanhe village, Fushui township, Anlu city

3 were imposed fines of 500 yuan, they are:

Wu Jianfang from Shangzhou village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

Xiongzaixu, from Shangzhou village, Chen Dian township, Anlu city

Zhu Wenfeng, from Mingjian village, Huaxi township, Xiaochang county

“To file the legal appeal in accordance with the Chinese and international laws should be encouraged instead of suppressed,” said Bob Fu of CAA. “Even facing these illegal detentions and injustice, the Chinese House Church believers are determined to pursue the true religious freedom in the spirit of rule of the law.” CAA called for the immediate release of these innocent Christian leaders. Letters of protest and concern can be sent to the Chinese Embassy.
 
Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong,
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
TEL: 202-7456743                 
Fax:202- 588-0032 ; 202-7457473
Director of Religious Affairs: 202-328-2512