Wave of Arrests in China Submerges Hope in New Regulations

(Compass) – A wave of arrests of Chinese Christians since March has dashed hopes of greater religious freedom following enactment of the new Regulations on Religious Affairs that went into effect March 1. The crackdown ranged from Jilin province in the east to Xinjiang province in the far west. Around 600 house church Christians in Jilin , many students and professors, were detained in May. In Henan province, approximately 100 pastors from the area were arrested while meeting for leadership training. On June 8, Roman Catholics reported a wave of arrests conducted by the Religious Affairs Department in Hebei province and the establishment of a provincial “Catholic Church Unit” created for the sole purpose of crushing the Catholic Church.