Incarceration Time Increases for Three Members of Shouwang Church in China

Detention for five days marks new level of harassment for harried church.

ICC Note:

The Beijing Shouwang (“to keep watch” in mandarin) church has been worshiping outdoors over three years after Chinese government prevented the church from renting a church building or getting the key to a church building they bought in 2009. On May 5, three members of Shouwang church have been placed in detention for five days, showing a higher level of harassment for the church meeting outdoors. Previously, police arrested church members during outside worships, but had not detained anyone for more than 48 hours.

05/07/2014 China (Morning Star News) – In a higher level of punishment since Beijing’s Shouwang Church began meeting outdoors in April 2011, three members of the congregation on Monday (May 5) have been placed in detention for five days, sources said.

Police arrested two men, Chen Youwei and Lan Shunfang, and a woman, Dai Liying, along with 30 other church members on Sunday (May 4); the rest were released later that day, while Chen, Lan and Dai on Monday (May 5) were sent to Haidian District Detention Center for allegedly “disturbing order in a public place,” according to a notice from church leaders on Shouwang’s website.

Members of the 1,000-strong church have been routinely arrested at the outdoor services since April 2011. The reason for the greater administrative detention of the three Christians, said to be in their 20s and 30s, was unknown.

“It is still unknown why they were singled out,” a source in Beijing said of the three Christians. “But it seems the authorities have begun getting tougher towards Christianity.”

Previously no church member had been held for more than 48 hours, with two members forcibly sent back to their hometowns; Sunday’s administrative detention marks the first time members of the congregation have been held in a detention center rather than a police jail, said the source, who requested anonymity.

Shouwang preacher Yuan Ling and other church members tried to visit them at the detention center on Tuesday (May 6) but were turned away, the source said.

Beijing police reportedly employ hundreds of officers for surveillance of the meeting site and homes of church members.

“All the pastors and elders and some other co-workers are still under house arrest, mainly on Sunday mornings,” the source said. “The governing committee has issued an open letter to the congregants praying for the peace of the three members and their loved ones, opening the hearts of the government leaders, and the freedom of worship.”

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