Lawyer for Church Pastor Asked to Leave Beijing before US Presidential Visit; One Well-known House Church Leader Kidnapped in Beijing; Eight More House Church Pastors and Believers Arrested

                            
Contact: Bob Fu
bobfu@ChinaAid.org
(267) 205-5210
Lawyer for Church Pastor Asked to Leave Beijing before US Presidential Visit; One Well-known House Church Leader Kidnapped in Beijing;  Eight More House Church Pastors and Believers Arrested
Midland, Texas (CAA, 11-18)—CAA learned on the eve of President Bush’s visit to Beijing, the leading defense attorney for Beijing House Church  Pastor Cai Zhuohua was warned by Chinese authorities not to engage any “unofficial activities.” Mr. Zhang Xingshui, a leading attorney for Pastor Cai and director of the Beijing Jingding Law Firm was contacted by a PSB agent a couple of days ago. He was instructed to leave Beijing and to stay in a verifiable temporary location in Tianjin City, about 100 miles away. According to a source familiar to the development, Mr. Zhang has moved to Tianjin already.
 
Meanwhile, a well-known house church leader, Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, was missing suddenly November 18, 2005. Pastor Zhang, along with his younger son, Zhang Chuang, were supposed to return from a trip by train to Beijing at 8am. But his elder son Mr. Zhang Jian was not able to find them at the train station. At 11am, a self-proclaimed official from Beijing Office for Nanyang City Affairs of Henan Province called Mr. Zhang Jian and told him his father and younger brother were being questioned about their “unofficial (but not illegal) petition activities.” That official said Pastor Zhang and his younger son would be released the evening of November 18. However, at 9pm, Pastor Zhang phoned his elder son to say that he was unlikely to be released soon. Pastor Zhang was detained for 27 hours on October 20 because of his leadership at Chinese House Church Association which was formally established that day. The association consists of over 50 house church leaders from 20 provinces.
 
Eight house church pastors and 100 active believers were arrested during a church service at Huangfu Town, Shangcai County, Henan Province at 12pm, November 3, 2005. To date none have been released. Their names are Mr. Huang Hailiang, Wei Lin, X. Baozheng (last name unknown), Yang En, Liu Dianjun, Ms. Li Xia, Ms. X. Tianqin (last name unknown) and Ms. Kong Xianhua.
 
“It’s no coincident that this kind of incident should happen again before President Bush’s visit.” says Bob Fu, the President of China Aid Association. “To intimidate and relocate the defense attorney for an innocent house church pastor is a ridicule of the rule of law. We urge the international community and President Bush to pressure the Chinese government to protect freedom of religion and other human rights.” 
President Bush is expected to arrive at Beijing on November 19th. Letters of concern can be sent to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC at the following address:
        Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
            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

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As the “Countdown Clock” on Tian’anmen Square ticked backwards toward the July 1 takeover of Hong Kong, Bob Fu and his pregnant wife, Heidi, knew their time was running out, too... Learn More >