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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| FAITH UNDER FIRE - China detains over 100 evangelical leaders |
| 2004-08-13 |
| The Voice Of the Martyrs, an international Christian human rights watchdog, urged China yesterday to release over 100 house church leaders who it said were rounded up last week by security forces as part of an ongoing government-led crack down on evangelical Christians. "We encourage Christians to write to the Chinese embassy in their respective country protesting this action against their citizens," the third such police operation within two months, said VOM, which has close ties with persecuted believers. Despite fresh reports of persecution of Christians as well as other religious groups and minorities, Australia rejected a bid by an influential Chinese academic and dissident for political asylum, news media said July 11. United Press International said Zhao Jing, who slipped away from a tour group in Sydney with a colleague on July 21, believes her application was rejected "under pressure from Beijing" as the two countries are currently discussing a free trade deal. Zhao was quoted as saying she faces "up to 10 years in jail" if she returns to China for her role in helping distribute books about Chinese persecution of Mongolian and Tibetan minorities in the country. They were written by her colleague and law professor Yuan Hong-bing, who is waiting for a decision on his case. Similar tough prison sentences were expected for the house church leaders who were arrested Friday, August 6, in Kaifeng City, Henan Province, reported the U.S.-based China Aid Organization (CAA), another Christian human rights group. They reportedly gathered for a meeting of encouragement at a gathering sponsored by a Henan House Church when suddenly "200 military police, Public Security Bureau and other officers" arrived at the scene "in about 20 police and military vehicles along with six minibuses." Rest at link |
| Posted by:Anonymous5089 |