May 23, 1995
Chinese Protestants: Victims of Oppression
I would prefer to have a Christian leader from the growing house church movement share with you, but this is not possible. Why is this not possible? First of all, the communist authorities in China will not allow any Christian leader of an unregistered church to travel outside of the country. Secondly, if a house-church leader was able to speak openly before you, that individual would most certainly suffer swift and severe retribution upon arriving home in China. Therefore, I must serve as a voice on their behalf.
The focus of this document will be on the Protestant house-church movement. I am going to discuss six points that relate to this issue:
1. The Booming Protestant House ChurchThe Booming Protestant House Church
2. Laws, Regulations and Policies
3. The Business Community
4. Accounts of Persecution
5. Restrictions Against Foreigners
6. Recommendations.The house church movement represents over 80% of the estimated 50 to 60 million Christians in China today. Approximately 30 to 40 million Chinese citizens are members of the so called "unauthorized" Protestant house churches.
Undoubtedly, the growth of the Christian church in China is parallel to none. Today, the number of Chinese who are turning to the Christian faith is climbing at a rate greater than any time in history, and likely faster than anywhere in the world. The house church movement is the heart of the Christian church in China.
I have no doubts that if the Christian church was allowed to flourish, China would likely become one of the world's strongest Christian nations and likely to become very prosperous. Historically, wherever Christianity has been free to flourish so has freedom and democracy.
The more rapid the Protestant house churches grow, the more the government becomes concerned. The house churches operate within a number of networks, some networks having membership numbering in the millions. To the Central Government, any form of non- governmental controlled associations are perceived as a threat. There are three primary methods employed by the government in an attempt to contain the house church movement. One method is for the government to try to break down these networks by detaining their leaders. However, no matter how hard the government tries, for every one leader arrested there are two more to replace him. The Public Security Bureau (PSB) is the police agency that is used to disrupt house church meetings, make arrests, impose fines and frequently use brutality as a means of persuasion. It is not uncommon for the PSB to employ hired thugs to do much of their dirty work for them.
A second method used against the house churches by the government is to control the flow of Bibles and literature. The less amount of uniformity in the teachings of the house churches the better chance the government has in keeping the Christian community divided and under control. For this reason, only Bibles and literature authorized by the government are allowed to be distributed. The amount of materials made available is far less than what is needed.
The third and most difficult method of controlling the house churches is to prevent the groups from growing. This is done by prohibiting unauthorized meeting places and by forbidding evangelizing. Nevertheless, house church believers continue to meet in private homes and remote areas, including caves. They are deeply committed to sharing their faith as they were so instructed in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
It is these three issues that are the primary reasons why the majority of house churches refuse to register with the government sanctioned Three Self Patriotic Association.
The unregistered house church believers continue to share their faith openly. They are bound by a more compelling call from the teachings of Christ in the Bible rather than obeying the dictates of the government. Their fearless conviction is deeply intrinsic to their faith. They believe that life's fulfillment for any human being is found only in faith in Jesus Christ. They are of the conviction that the doctrines of the faith are important, therefore they devote themselves to getting Bibles into the hands of as many new converts as they can. This is done at great risk. The house church believers can not go to the state approved churches and obtain Bibles without revealing themselves. Therefore, they are dependent upon Bibles coming from overseas sources. Since the government prohibits the importation of Bibles and Christian literature, the government is always attempting to uncover and destroy these underground distribution networks.
It is important for China's western trading partners to recognize the impact that the house church movement is having on Chinese society. This movement can not simply be ignored. We can either choose to support this movement in their plight for freedom and gain their respect or we can choose to continue to compromise with the hollow, empty facade of the government sanctioned churches. It is impossible to do both, because the majority of unregistered house church leaders do not trust the registered church leaders. There have been many cases in which pastors of registered churches have informed PSB agents as to the location of unregistered house church meetings.
Many foreigners frequently visiting China fail to recognize that complicity with the state church means alienating oneself from the unregistered house church believers, who are in the majority. Although there are many true believers in the registered churches, it can be said that overall the state church has become nothing more than a "voice without a church." The real voice, in terms of numbers and zeal, are the millions of Christians who belong to the unregistered house churches.
Laws, Regulations and Policies
Chinese officials frequently claim that religious freedom is guaranteed by China's Constitution. This is true. But in reality, it is the government's policies and decrees that are heavily relied upon, not the Constitution.
One could argue that China's Constitution guarantees Chinese Christians the right to evangelize, distribute Bibles and practice their faith uninhibited by the government. But policies dictated by the central government contradict these so called rights. These policies prohibit children from receiving a Christian education; children are excluded from the sacred practice of water baptism; believers are prohibited from sharing their faith openly with others; and the unauthorized printing and distribution of Bibles and other Christian literature is met with sever punishment. The slightest infraction of these regulations brings swift punishment, including at minimum a fine, or possibly confinement to a labor camp, and in some cases even torture and death.
To the Chinese authorities, freedom of religion means that you have the freedom to go to the church the government has selected for you and to practice your faith in accordance to government guidelines.
On my first trip to China in March 1991, I traveled with two members of Congress for the sole purpose of discussing human rights and religious freedom with China's leaders. We met with China's Premier Li Peng. I will always remember him claiming (and I quote): "China guarantees religious freedom, but those who violate the law must be punished according to the law" (end quote). The rhetorical remarks repeatedly made by Chinese officials always included such statements as: "No Christian is in prison for their religious beliefs."
It was also Li Peng who on January 31, 1994 issued State Council Regulations No. 144 and No. 145 that some have interpreted as a step forward in establishing rule of law and religious freedom. The reality, however, is that these regulations gave corrupt Chinese authorities a license to destroy house churches, arrest their leaders and confiscate their property. Those who have applauded these new regulations are ignorant of how they are interpreted further down the political ladder. During 1994 there was an increase in some areas in the number of raids on meeting places, interrogations, fines and detention of house church Christians. The unregistered house churches increasingly have become the target of a massive government crackdown aimed at exterminating all of the alleged "illegal" house church activities throughout China.
On another trip to China in January of 1994, I traveled with American Congressman Chris Smith. We presented evidence to the Religious Affairs Bureau and the Chinese Christian Council that proved that Christians are punished for nothing other than their religious faith. We presented copies of two original documents signed by a Chinese official named Li Si-an of the Fuyang Administrative District Committee for Labor Reform in Anhui Province. These documents named four Protestant house church Christians who had been sentenced to three years labor reform. Their alleged crime was: 1) listening to a Hong Kong based gospel radio program, 2) accepting Bibles from overseas, and 3) holding training classes for preachers.
Irate that such damaging evidence reached the West, a search was conducted in Mengcheng County for anyone having knowledge of how this information was smuggled out of the labor camp where the four were being held. Many more Protestant believers have since been interrogated, with two more being sentenced to labor camps. All six have since been moved to one of the worst labor camps in China, a coal mine called Xuan Cheng Labor Reform Quarry. Here they are forced to work long days under terribly unhealthy conditions in mines deep in the earth. I am told that they work long hours and never see day light.
So I would ask any American businessman that the next time you strike a deal with the Chinese, please inquire as to why these six men are treated with such treachery. Inquire as why their crime as Christians deserves such intolerable treatment. For you may be that one voice, that one last hope that these Christians will have of being set free. Can we, with a clear conscience, permit such beastly behavior from those who take our American money with one hand and with the other raise a wicked fist against the innocent?
As the growth of the Protestant house church movement in China continues, it is only a matter of time until some favored employees will suddenly disappear. Later you will learn that the employee had committed a crime, but what you may not be told is that the alleged crime was attending an unregistered house church meeting. Don't rule out the possibility that this employee could die from beatings or from being subjected to reprehensible treatment in a labor reform camp.
Most certainly, if this were to occur to one of your own loved ones, a vociferous protest would be heard. But for these people, the Chinese victims of religious oppression, they have no one to speak on their behalf. What Chinese would dare speak out against these acts of brutality? If one did, he or she would face severe consequences. No, these people have no voice but to remain silent. Therefore, only those who are in positions of giving the Chinese government something they want are in a position to also be a voice for those who are under the yoke of oppression. I ask my myself, and I ask you to do the same, can I buy products with a "Made in China" label on it and still ignore the gross human rights violations that continue to take place. My answer is No, I can not keep silent.
The Business Community
One year ago, American businessmen engaged in trade with China claimed that unrestricted commerce with China would promote more freedom in China. In my trip with Congressman Smith to Beijing in January 1994, we met with some of the leaders of the American business community in Beijing. The business community tried to convince us that economic advancement will lead to freedom. I argued then, as I argue now, that as long as these businessmen refuse to raise their voices against injustice and speak up for the oppressed, it will be impossible to achieve freedom in China. There is no such thing as "economic" freedom apart from absolute freedom. True freedom is not attainable independent of human rights. For this reason, I am convinced that you can not separate trade from human rights.
As long as there is absent within the business community a commitment to human rights, then we can only expect conditions in China to get far worse before they ever get better. It will not only be the Chinese who suffer, but every western corporation and individual who has invested money in China will suffer as well. Commerce is built on relationships and relationships are built on mutual respect. Western corporations engaged in trade with China are in the best position to develop this kind of relationship. To do so, the subject of human rights can not and should not be avoided.
Accounts of Persecution
I would like to give you some specific examples of persecution against Chinese Protestant Christians.
In some instances persecution can be so violent that it leads to death. For example, on March 27, 1993, 22-year-old Lai Manping was one of five Protestant believers arrested and severely beaten by PSB officials following a raid on a house church meeting in Taoyuan, Shaanxi Province. Lai Manping was suspected of having had contacted foreigners. After repeated beatings, he was then placed in a detention center. Later, officials were worried that Lai Manping was going to die while in their custody, so they released him. While trying to walk home, he collapsed under a tree. A farmer found him and took him to a nearby deserted house. Shortly thereafter he died.
Another case of violent persecution that led to death occurred on January 5, 1994. Protestant believer Zheng Musheng was arrested during a raid on a house church meeting by agents of the Public Security Bureau in the town of Moyan in Hunan Province. According to the local Christians, Zheng was beaten and tortured to death by three PSB officers in an attempt to force him to make a confession. The family later viewed his body and found puncture wounds and rope burns as well as other signs of torture. His widow has boldly made an effort to bring a lawsuit against the PSB officials. This is one case which American businessmen could help by repeatedly raising this case with the Chinese authorities. For if Zheng's widow were to succeed in the lawsuit, this could be one step in the right direction toward holding the government accountable for such brutality.
Just recently, on February 18, 1995, in the city of Huadu in Guangzhou Province, PSB officers raided a house church meeting of more than 100 people. The owner of the house, along with his wife and a church member who tried to intervene, were handcuffed and repeatedly kicked. The officials gathered and burned all the Bibles.
And again in February, nine more Christians were arrested in a raid on a house church in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. Once again, PSB officers physically assaulted several of the 500 people attending the unregistered house church meeting. One of the nine was reportedly seriously injured from the beatings inflicted by the officers. At last report, all nine are still being held in a detention center.
During the month of April, as Easter festivities were underway, hundreds of Christians were arrested across China in a renewed crackdown by the government. In Shaanxi Province, in Changzhi, a Protestant house church meeting was raided. Six Chinese Christians were arrested. Among them were two well known house church leaders: Li Tianem from Shanghai and another known as Brother Shi. Also arrested was the famous Chinese surgeon, Dr. Chen Qunying. Many raids and arrests go unreported every week in China. Most of the Christians are fined and released within a day or two. Many others are detained for three months before being fined and released. And then there are those who are considered more dangerous. Lay preachers and key leaders of house churches are sometimes held in detention centers for many years. Under the law, anyone can be detained for up to three years before being charged and sentenced. Once they are tried, they may get anywhere from a three to 30 year sentence. This method of detaining people before being tried is becoming more commonly used. The Chinese authorities can easily claim that western human rights groups are exaggerating the number of Christians or political activists. Since records are not often kept on detainees held under house arrest or in so called "guest houses", it is difficult to document these cases.
Sometimes it is hard to understand how cruel human beings can be to others. Another recent example is that of Li Dexian, a Protestant house church leader. Li was an innocent victim of a raid carried out by PSB agents on a house church meeting on February 18, 1995. A number of agents took turns as they severely beat Li with a steel rod. He sustained fractures to several ribs, and serious injuries to his neck, back and legs. This kind of treatment of Christians is not uncommon. This is just one of many methods used to intimidate and harass non-complying Christians.
One month later, in March, Li once again fell victim to an attack by PSB agents. This incident took place in a province often cited as one of the best examples of economic reform. It took place in the prosperous and successful southern province of Guangdong. PSB agents raided an unregistered house church meeting in the town of Bei Xing. No matter where in China, Protestant house church believers live under constant threat of arrest, beatings and fines.
And it is not just Chinese citizens who are victims. John Short, an Australian Protestant Christian was visiting the house church meeting with Li Dexian at the time of the PSB raid. John witnessed the entire ordeal. He himself was subjected to a grueling interrogation. Then the film in his camera was confiscated and exposed. Mr. Short described how seven uniformed agents had raided a prayer and Bible study meeting that was being held in a private home. The seven agents took two of the house church leaders and stood them against a wall. With their fists, they then punched the foreheads of the two Christians, causing their heads to strike against the wall.
Many people like Li are among those people who work in the factories that make the products that are exported to the United States. Some might argue that they are fortunate to be employed at all. However, being employed is one thing, but employment without dignity is nothing more than enslavement.
Restrictions Against foreigners
John Short and others who wish to practice fellowship with other Christian believers are going to continue to be subject to arrest and have their personal property confiscated. Since the introduction of Regulation No. 145, foreigners are now faced with the same punishment as are Chinese citizens. Although no American to my knowledge has yet been given a three year prison sentence for meeting in an unregistered house church or for giving away a Bible, the law now allows for such action to be taken.
During my visit to Beijing last year, Congressman Smith and I were asked by Bishop Su Zhimin of Baoding to pay him a visit. The 62- year-old underground Roman Catholic had just recently been released from prison. Bishop Su had spent a total of 15 years in prison and had been severely tortured for his faith. To our dismay, we learned that after we left China, the Chinese authorities re-arrested Bishop Su and interrogated him for nine days. This obviously was meant to be a punishment for his having met with foreigners.
We also met with three young Protestant believers, evangelists within the unofficial house church movement. Each of these three ladies recounted how they had been brutally treated by PSB agents during a raid on a house church meeting. They were then jailed for a lengthy time. Obviously for their safety I can't tell you their names or where they were from, but I can tell you that I was deeply moved by their testimonies and their faith, even under torture. Two of these young ladies described how they had been suspended from the ceiling with wire tied around their ankles. They were then stripped naked and beaten with wooden rods and told to renounce their faith. What impressed me most was not just how resolute they were in their faith, but also that these ladies had a beautiful, almost angelic glow about them. It was a striking contrast between them and the ruthless men who had tortured them. These ladies humbly and sincerely communicated to us that they held no malice whatsoever against their persecutors. We asked them if they were concerned about being caught meeting with us. They simply replied, "What more can they do to us than what they have already done?" They further added, "We would welcome another opportunity to share our faith with those men."
The Chinese government is nervous about the influence foreigners might have on Chinese citizens. More and more foreigners are unknowingly being placed under surveillance. In April, a Christian from Taiwan was followed by security agents once he crossed the boarder into China. They suspected that he was a Christian. The authorities kept the Taiwanese Christian under surveillance until he led them to a house church meeting. On April 13, agents raided the house church that he visited. Six Chinese house church Christians are now in jail. Three of the men arrested are key leaders in the Chinese house churches.
Can we as free people merely ignore these problems? Are we only to close our eyes, comply with totalitarian demands, and continue to attend to our own economic interests? Are we to accompany the Chinese government along the way as they continue to exercise totalitarian methods of brutality?
The Chinese government currently has the attitude that it can ignore human rights complaints. China has received what it wants - - a market for its products. And at least for now, the matter of human rights appears to have little significance in relationship to trade.
Without a doubt, the government of China has been backing further and further away from any discussions centered on human rights.
Recommendations
Economic Reforms and Religious Freedom are both obtainable in China. But it will require a firm commitment from CEO's of American firms doing business in China.
Frequently we hear from Chinese Christians that economic reforms are having little impact on improving human rights. Without question, under the current policies of our government and the silence on the part of the business community, human rights in China are only going to get worse before they ever improve. I have received reports from those who work regularly inside China that since the United States government de-linked trade from human rights, human rights violations have progressively increased.
So what can be done? Business consultant John Kamm is one example of what can be done. He has repeatedly raised with the Chinese government specific human rights concerns. Business people with ties to China can make a tremendous difference, if they would only take the initiative to do so. I would suggest that every CEO get information from organizations like ICC and others represented here, and then use that information to hold the Chinese government accountable to demonstrating respect for human rights.
Hoping for changes in China's laws are meaningless as long as the policy of 'rule by law' overrides the rule of law. We can not afford to ignore the moral, human element, the most important factor in doing business anywhere in the world.
When American companies sit down to sign any agreement with the Chinese, a moral code of conduct needs to be introduced. Such a code will help the Chinese to become cognizant of sound business practices and the practice of human rights. Suggested topics might include:
1. Equal OpportunityFurthermore, every CEO should be willing to raise with the Chinese government specific cases that pertain to violations of human rights and religious freedom. The more often these concerns are raised, the more likely conditions will improve.
2. Concerns for the rights of individuals
3. Honesty and Integrity
4. Freedom of expression of ones beliefs
5. Abstaining from the use of violence and coercionIn conclusion, the sanctity of religious belief and the God-given right to express that belief must be respected by all freedom loving nations. As long as Chinese Christians are denied the freedom to assemble, are discriminated against, are beaten with rods, are hung upside down by their ankles, are forced to serve sentences in deplorable prison camps, are tortured to death, we as people of conscience can not and must not be silent. I appeal to all CEO's of American corporations to make it their duty to become a voice for the oppressed Protestant house church believers in China.
The president of ICC campaigns for religious liberty around the world. He has escorted congressional delegations to China and has met with high ranking leaders, including China's Premier Li Peng.