11/23/2020 China (International Christian Concern) – The leader of a house church in China’s Yunnan province was detained for five days as his “administrative punishment,” since he held worship at his residence and “disturbed public order.”
According to China Aid, on November 15, Li Chunze, the leader of a house church in Panlong District in the city of Kunming, saw Changqing police raided his house and accused the fellowship he attended for disturbing the order of public places.
Mr. Li, a local believer told China Aid, “The staff from the district religious affairs bureau said that it is illegal for believers to participate in religious activities at a venue not approved by the government. Numerous police officers transported all the attendees to the police station for interrogation. That evening, officials released all those they had arrested but one—Li Chunzhe, who remains detained.”
The decision for administrative punishment provided by his church members shows that Li was subject to administrative detention (from November 16 to November 21) and fine, though it did not specify the amount . He was detained in Kunming Municipal Detention Center.
The house church led by Li was established about ten years ago, with most of the members being local senior citizens. While their Sunday service does not inconvenience their neighbors, local police and officials from the religious affairs bureau have requested them multiple times to join the state-sanctioned Three-Self church, to which they refused.
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