Large Arrests Reported

(China Aid) – China Aid is reporting that more than 100 leaders of China Gospel Fellowship (CGF) were arrested on June 11, 2004. The massive arrest took place at Wuhan city, Hubei province while these church leaders were having a retreat together. About 50 police (PSB) raided the church meeting around 2:00pm and arrested all of the participants including one of the senior CGF leaders Mr. Xing Jinfu. Mr. Xing Jinfu, 39-year-old, was arrested at least three times in the past for his church activities. He was sentenced to three years re-education through labor in 1996 for his accused illegal preaching. The whereabouts of the arrested are still unknown. At the same day, the well-known leader of CGF pastor Shen Xianfeng(photo attached) was put under house arrest at a residential area in Wuhan city after the PSB thoroughly searched a house where Mr. Shen was recovering from illness of his crippled legs. China Gospel Fellowship was established in mid-1980s. It is one of the five major Chinese house church groups with estimated at least five million members. CA is also reporting that the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party had recently convened a special secret meeting discussing how to deal with religious affairs in China . According to the source, a secret directive was issued after the meeting calling every level of the Chinese government and the Party to crack down the illegal religious activities. The directive also urged the CCPs Department of Propaganda to carry out a special media campaign to promote atheism. Given the recent massive arrests of unregistered religious leaders in different areas in China , the international community should be alarmed and take concrete actions to urge the Chinese government to fulfill her signed pledge to protect her citizens religious freedom mandated by relevant international human rights covenants. People of conscience in the US could send a letter of concern to the Chinese embassy in Washington DC :

Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
Tel:(202) 328-2500 Fax:(202) 588-0032
Director of Religious Affairs: (202) 328-2512