Police in southwest China’s Guizhou province have arrested six Christians on charges including “fraud” and the unprecedented accusation of “organising minors to engage in activities undermining public order”.
The Christians are leaders in a house church in Guizhou’s Kaili city and include five men – Wei Yongqiang, He Jinbao, Quan Xiaolong, Long Jian and Cheng Yongbing – and a woman named Zhou Guixia.
Fraud charges are increasingly brought against leaders of unregistered churches for receiving voluntary tithes and offerings, which the authorities describe as “illegal income”. Observers say fraud charges are used as a way to penalise unregistered churches without bringing specifically religious charges.
The charge of “organising minors to engage in activities undermining public order”, however, is unprecedented in the context of church ministry and has traditionally been applied only when minors are incited to fight, steal or engage in other acts that threaten public safety.
Bitter Winter commented, “Although minors are prohibited from entering churches in China, children attending religious activities with their parents is a basic expression of family life and freedom of belief, and does not fall within the scope of the offence.”
Local sources say the accusation is based entirely on ordinary church activities such as holding Sunday school classes and families participating in worship together.
“This is a deeply troubling escalation of China’s campaign against religious freedom,” said Dr Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid. “Criminalising Sunday school and the peaceful sharing of faith with children is an outrageous abuse of law and a direct assault on the fundamental rights of parents and churches.”
Legal experts concerned about charges and due process violations
Legal experts in China have raised serious concerns about the substance of the charges and about due process violations in the procedural handling of the case.
Religious freedom advocates say applying the charge of “organising minors to engage in activities undermining public order” beyond acts that threaten public safety to encompass religious education and family participation in Christian worship represents an expansion of criminal law. Dr Fu commented, “The constitution of China says it protects religious belief, but in practice the Chinese Communist Party is targeting law-abiding citizens who happen to attend church with their children.”
In relation to due process violations, family members of the accused promptly retained legal counsel to represent them but prosecutors went ahead and approved the arrests without hearing any of the lawyers’ legal opinions.
“This case – both the charges and the process – mark a shocking new phase in China’s persecution of religious minorities,” said Dr Fu. “When authorities attempt to equate normal Christian education with threats to public order, it shows how far the CCP is willing to go to suppress independent religious belief.”
The six detained Christians’ families and church community are urging continued public attention to the case and are calling on judicial authorities to uphold the rule of law, protect citizens’ fundamental rights and ensure justice is served.
Reaction
Commenting on the case, China Aid stated: “The case comes amid growing alarm over China’s tightening legal restrictions on religious activity. Observers note that the recently revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law now places so-called ‘illegal religious activities’ alongside ‘cult organisations’ under Article 31. This change has already resulted in multiple cases of pastors and preachers being administratively detained across China.”
(Bitter Winter, China Aid)
Photo: International Mission Board (undated representative photo of a children’s class in a government-approved church in Suzhou, China)