China Aid Association
(Lichuan, Jiangxi—July 11, 2012) Details just obtained by ChinaAid about a raid on a house church Jiangxi province last month reveal that this was another case of authorities targeting church-organized summer camps for children.
ChinaAid first reported this incident on Sunday based on sketchy information that three church workers were briefly detained and church property confiscated. Read the report here: https://chinaaid.org/2012/07/police-raid-house-church-in-jiangxi.html
The latest details reveal that authorities had cracked down on a weeklong summer camp organized by two house churches. Last week, a similar children’s summer camp in the far western region of Xinjiang was also raided. See https://chinaaid.org/2012/07/urgent-police-raid-house-church-sunday.html
From June 2 to June 7, the Houcun house church in Jiangxi’s Lichuan county and another house church jointly held a church summer camp for elementary school students.
At 11 a.m. on June 6, officers from the Houcun police station and the public security bureau, officials from the religious affairs bureau, and some primary and secondary school principals swarmed into the classroom, took down the names of everyone in the room and confiscated a laptop and projector.
Three teachers Nanfeng county and Lichuan county were taken to a police station for questioning, on the grounds that non-local residents are not allowed to come and evangelize.
The police and government officials also stressed that children under the age of 18 are not allowed to become religious believers, and they ordered the church to stop holding classes about Christianity for the youth. Furthermore, the church is not registered and is therefore illegal. Hence, the authorities refused to return the confiscated items, and also refused to produce the legally required paperwork for seizing property.
Most of the members of this church are elderly women, with only a few men believers. The normal worship activities of the church have been seriously disrupted, and some members are too afraid to come to meetings.
Director Zhou of the Lichuan County Bureau of Religious Affairs: 13807943036
Education Bureau Director: 13707042243
Chief of Houcun Police Station: 13879458288
ChinaAid condemns Jiangxi’s Lichuan county for its persecution of this church of mainly elderly women believers and urges the local government to immediately halt its suppression of this church and to return the confiscated church equipment.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
