Letter to Congressional Representative

Dear [Name of Congressman],

I write to express my grave concern that the approach of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has been accompanied in China by a significant deterioration in human rights, specifically in religious freedom violations toward China’s unregistered Protestant Church, also known as the house church.

Despite President Hu Jintao’s statements (at the end of 2007) that China has a policy of religious freedom, the Ministry of Public Security received funding from the Chinese Central Government to increase its campaign of eradicating house churches throughout China. Abhorrent abuse of religious believers continues, and regular raids of peaceful religious meetings take place. This persecution is at record levels: persecution includes the largest mass-sentencing of house church leaders in 25 years, a level of expulsion of foreign Christians not seen since the 1950s, and targeted repression of the Chinese House Church Alliance. In addition to imprisoning innocent religious adherents, this recent crackdown also affects other sectors of life including prevention of property rentals in Beijing, prohibition of religious groups at the Olympics, forced labor for Olympic products, and persecution of Christian publishers. Documentation of these cases is available at www.ChinaAid.org. I am very concerned at these egregious violations of such a basic human right. 

As your constituent, I encourage you to request the Chinese government to release – before the Olympic Games – those who have been imprisoned for peacefully practicing their religious faith, and to respect its citizens’ fundamental human right of religious freedom. 
Respectfully yours,

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