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

MIDLAND, Texas, Aug. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- CAA learned August 19, a house church in Liang Jiagou Village, Wudaqu District, Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China was raided by the local police.

Around 8 AM, August 19, the local police, accompanied by the officers of the Local United Front Department and the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee went to the Liang Jiagou Church and confiscated church property including stools and a blackboard etc. They warned the Christians that they can not gather except at the government sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement Church (TSPM).  

CAA also learned that August 5, 2006, Wu Guilan, a female Mongolian missionary was sentenced to 1 year in a re-education through labor camp by the local government.

It is said that Sister Wu Guilan was evangelizing the Mongolian people in Yi Jin Huo Luo Flag, Inner Mongolia Autonomous District. She preached that the Mongolian people should not worship Genghis Khan (which was useless), but should worship the “Heavenly God.” She also organized several evangelistic activities. The 50-year-old female missionary was arrested by the local Public Security Bureau July 27, 2006.

August 5, 2006, Wu Guilan was sentenced to 1 year in a re-educated through labor camp by the local “Re-education through Labor Administrative Committee” on suspicion of organizing a cult.

August 24, the People's Court of Yinan County, Shandong Province, sentenced Chen Guangcheng, a renowned blind civil rights activist, to four years and three months in prison on charges of willfully damaging property, organizing a mob, and disrupting traffic. Chen Gengjiang and two others were tried secretly August 18, and sentenced to seven months in detention (a sentenced that is postponed for 1 year.) Chen Guangcheng’s wife is currently under house arrest.

In 2005, Chen exposed the local authority’s harsh measures of enforcing the one-child policy in Linyi, Shandong Province.

Chen filed a class-action lawsuit against Linyi officials on a woman's behalf and drew attention to the plight of the villagers. Although the law suit he filed was rejected, the incident was publicized on the internet by Time Magazine who interviewed Chen.

Three hours after the interview in Beijing, Chen was shoved into an unmarked vehicle by Public Security Agents from his hometown. They took him back to his village, where he was held under house arrest for months.

Chen was removed from his house in March 2006 and formally detained in June 2006 by Yinan County Officials.

None of Chen's lawyers, as well as his wife, were allowed in the courtroom for the trial. The authorities appointed a public defender for Chen. As a result, the lawyer did little to help his new client. August 24, 2006, Chen was sentenced to four years and three months for "damaging property, organizing a mob, and disrupting traffic.

“The attack on the House Church and the labor camp sentence of the missionary in Inner Mongolia are certainly contradictory to the Chinese government’s repeated claims of protecting the minority people’s religious freedom,” said Rev. Bob Fu, President of China Aid, “The obvious disregard for the rule of law by this illegal trial and the heavy sentence of the blind rights activist, Mr. Chen Guangcheng, should shake the confidence of conscientious international investors in China.”

Attachment: The re-education through labor decision for Wu Guilan, legal document.

Eerduosi City Re-education through Labor Administrative Committee

Re-education through Labor Decision

Document number: E Lao Jiao Zi [2006] 182

Wu Guilan, Female, ethnic Mongolian, born July 7, 1956, identification card No: 152825195607010028, unemployed, graduated from Specialized Middle School, Registered permanent address: Lawuzhong Flag, Inner Mongolia Autonomous District. Temporary residential address: Artengxire Town, Yijinhuoluo Flag, Eerduosi City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous District.

Yijinhuoluo Flag Public Security Bureau concluded that: Since July, 2006, Wu Guilan has been spreading heresies among the Mongolian masses in the territory of Yijinhuoluo Flag; that “illness could be healed without medicine by believing in the Heavenly God,” and that “one could become rich without working;” moreover, “the traditional lifestyle of the Mongolians is not good, one should believe in the heavenly God instead of worshipping Genghis Khan, which is useless.” She also instigated others to engage in cult activities. Wu Guilan has confessed to all of these accusations.

The Re-education through Labor Administrative Committee verified the crime and concluded that: Since July, 2006, Wu Guilan has been spreading heresies among the Mongolian masses in the territory of Yijinhuoluo Flag; that “illness could be healed without medicine by believing in Heavenly God,” and that “one could become rich without working;” moreover, “the traditional lifestyle of the Mongolians is not good, one should believe in the heavenly God instead of worshipping Genghis Khan, which is useless.” She also incited others to engage in cult activities. The above fact is proven by Wu Guilan’s confession, the evidence and witnesses, as well as the statement of the victims. We have informed Wu Guilan that she has the right to ask for a hearing, and she expressed that she would not ask for one.

The Reeducation through Labor Administrative Committee concluded that: Wu Guilan interfered with the execution of national law by organizing cult. The fact is clear, the evidence is abundant. Her case fits the condition of Reeducation through Labor. Based on the 4th Item of the 10th Article in "Trial Method of Re-education through Labor," we declare that Wu Guilan be re-educated through labor for 1 year, beginning July 27, 2006 to July 26, 2007.

If you refuse to accept this decision, you can apply for administrative review to the Autonomous District Re-education through Labor Administrative Committee (address: in the District Public Security Department) within 60 days after receiving this decision. Or, you may file an administrative law suit with the local court within 3 days after receiving this decision.

Date: August 5th, 2006

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
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Washington DC 20008
Tel: 202-328-2500 Fax: 202-588-0032

Director of Religious Affairs:
202-328-2512
Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, IL
Address: 100 West Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Tel: 312-803-0095
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Address: 3417 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006
Tel: 713-524-0780
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Address: 443 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: 213-807-8018
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Address: 1450 Laguna St. San Francisco, CA 94115
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Fax: 415-563-4861
Issued by China Aid on August 28, 2006 © 2006