ChinaAid Director of Advocacy Speaks at Interethnic/Interfaith Leadership Conference at Harvard

China Aid Association
ChinaAid Director of Advocacy Speaks at Interethnic/Interfaith Leadership Conference at Harvard University
Photo: ChinaAid Director of Advocacy Jenny McCloy at Harvard University with host Dr. Yang Jianli, President  of Initiatives for China

(BOSTON — November 7, 2008) ChinaAid Director of Advocacy Jenny McCloy, delivered the following speech at Harvard University on November 7, 2008 at the Interethnic/Interfaith Leadership Conference organized by Initiatives for China.
Hello my name is Jenny McCloy. I am the Director of Advocacy for ChinaAid in Washington, DC, and I come on behalf of Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid, who was not able to attend. Many thanks to Initiatives for China for organizing this wonderful conference, and to Harvard University for its hospitality.
The realization of religious freedom is a vital factor is a major goal for a free society. The freedom to choose the object of one’s heart affection and belief is the foundation for many other freedoms which this conference is designed to pursue, such as the freedom of association and freedom of speech. This speech considers the level of religious freedom experienced by the Chinese Protestant house churches, and I defer to the respective speakers throughout the weekend to give specifics of their focus groups and regions. These comments will consider the Constitutional provision guaranteeing religious freedom, the challenges of the mandatory registration system, and the recent treatment experienced by house church Christians.
The purpose is to sketch the situation faced by this specific group of religious adherents, for the ultimate goal of moving toward a realization of freedom of religious belief which will promote honorably stability and freedom throughout Chinese society.
There is a difference of opinion concerning the status of religious freedom in China, in the international community and among many Chinese citizens.
The Chinese Constitution guarantees religious freedom in Article 36. Management of religious affairs is directed by the Party’s charter. Certainly, in comparison to the religious freedom of the 1960’s, during th
Cultural Revolution, there is more religious freedom now.
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches have an estimated 16 million members. Approximately 15,000 churches have officially registered with the Chinese government. The Chinese government might argue that the existence of these churches and the fact that millions of Bibles are printed and allowed to be sold at these TSPM churches is proof that there is religious freedom in China. Indeed, there has been some progress in China in the area of religious freedom. Some members of the TSPM church believe that all Chinese Christians should be willing to register and only worship in the manner that is officially approved by the Chinese government.
But there are over 60 to 80 million Christians who view the TSPM church with suspicion and feel that they should be allowed to worship in their homes and in ways of their own choosing, and not be required to register and only assemble for worship in government approved sites.
There are many perspectives among the unregistered churches as to how to deal with the Chinese government’s registration requirements.
A legal scholar in China recently released an extensive review on the registration procedures and how this affects Christian house church Christians. In his words, “They [the Party officials] require the religious groups to obey the guidance and supervision management of the administration of religions and the administration of civil affairs; otherwise, registration shall not be granted. For the Christian house churches, to ‘obey the service guidance and supervision management of the administration of religions and the administration of civil affairs, means to belong to or depend on the TSPM church system. Religious groups which do not have registration shall not have a legal position, shall not establish religious activity places, shall not hold religious activities, shall be banned by the administration of religions ban, and shall not exist. The raids on house church in May 2008, the “May Storm” €¦ display this logic.”
A few house churches are contemplating aligning themselves with the official TSPM church and working within its structures. Some house churches are waiting to see if the Chinese government will be open-minded and more flexible with registration requirements; they point out that, practically, the millions of unregistered Christians cannot be accommodated by the official TSPM structure and facilities. Other house churches are strongly opposed to such a consideration and view the official TSPM church as a deceptive arm of a Communist government created to control and undermine the purity of their faith. This is a complex issue whose outcome will determine the future of China’s stability and future.
Beyond these technicalities and challenges of registration, Christian house church leaders and participants often experience harassment at the hands of government officials, despite the Constitutional provisions which should protect religious freedom.
Those who belong to unregistered — and therefore, illegal — groups can face many difficulties, including being harassed, humiliated, fined, tortured, imprisoned and subjected to forced labor. Physical assaults have left Christians injured, hospitalized and disabled. Meetings have been forcefully dispersed, unofficial church buildings destroyed and property confiscated. In addition, the Chinese government allows the official printing of a limited number of Bibles. It is illegal to sell Bibles in most bookstores. Bibles may only be distributed through TSPM churches, making it hard for house church Christians to obtain. Also, the production of Bibles from the government-approved press is not sufficient to meet the needs of house churches. Therefore, some pastors have printed Bibles and Christian literature, but many of them have been arrested and imprisoned under the charge of “operating illegal business practices.
In 2007, there was a rise of 18.5% in the numbers of Christians persecuted, compared with the previous year, with an increase in persecution cases of 30.4%. The total number of people arrested and detained was 693, up 6.6% from that of 2006. Sixteen people were sentenced to imprisonment, down 5.9% from that of the year before. There were 17 cases of physical abuse (beating, torture and psychological abuse), up 325% from that of 2006. Thirty-five people were abused in these cases, up 400% from 2006.
The preparations of the Beijing Olympic Games were accompanied by a shocking increase in persecution of house church Christians, including the largest mass sentencing of house church leaders in 25 years and a level of expulsion of foreign Christians not seen since the 1950s. In May 2008, ChinaAid learned that Ministry of Public Security received funding from the Chinese central government to increase the level of eradicating house churches.
A post-Olympic crackdown campaign has been proposed and discussed within the Party, and ChinaAid learned that a list of individuals targeted for this post-Olympic crackdown campaign was complied by China’s Ministry of Public Security. The list included about 15,000 house church leaders and nearly 30 human rights defense lawyers. Moreover, the Beijing Municipal State Bureau released a “citizen informant initiatives,” whereby citizens are required to report individuals or organizations are likely to threat to national security by using means including media and religion.
The human rights lawyers who are representing sensitive clients such as these persecuted house church members are putting their own law practices at risk. ChinaAid has received reports from these lawyers about the threatening, detainment, and harassment they have experienced — even torture with shock batons.
Since the end of the Olympic Games, ChinaAid has received reports of intensified religious persecution from across China. In Heilongjiang province, one city called Yichun recently banned all of the house churches. In Yunnan province, some house church members were attacked right after the Olympics. In Shandong province, Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years of re-education through labor, and after the Olympics his appeal was denied. Pastor Zhang’s lawyer, Li Fangping, was refused permission to meet with him because authorities claim Pastor Zhang could endanger state security. In Beijing, Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan and his family members have been evicted from their home, beaten and arrested; this treatment has lessened after international pressure.
While there has been improvement in religious freedom conditions in recent decades, there remains many challenges for the growing number of Christian house church Christians before the liberation of religious freedom is truly realized.
Thank you very much.
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