(Anhui province) Local authorities handcuffed and shackled Pastor Ru Zongren during a critical medical treatment.
Cuffed to a hospital bed
On July 30, 2023, Ru Zongren, pastor of Chengxi Christian Church, was arbitrarily controlled by the local Chinese government. He was in need of kidney dialysis, and police cuffed him to a hospital bed during his treatment. They inhumanely detained him for five hours during his dialysis.
Previous detention
According to ChinaAid sources, local authorities were afraid Pastor Ru would petition during the 20th National Congress last year. Police took Ru Zongren, who was suffering from uremia, and detained him until he was physically incapacitated before releasing him.
Requests ignored
Recently, due to the upcoming visit of the Central Leading Group for Inspection Work to Anhui, the local government once again arbitrarily detained Ru Zongren. What’s particularly horrifying is that when Ru Zongren needed hemodialysis, local government officials took him to the hospital for treatment. However, they made him undergo the procedure while still wearing handcuffs and shackles, and bound him to the hospital bed for nearly five hours. Ru’s family pleaded with tears for authorities to remove his handcuffs, but they were ignored.
Ro Zongren’s background
Ru Zongren is a native of Lixin County, Anhui province. He came to Christ at a young age, and his parents are both faithful Christians. The Lord called him to faith in 2001, Ru Zongren went to study theology in 2004. He graduated from Anhui Theological Seminary in China in 2007. After graduating, he resolutely returned to Anhui to serve in his hometown church. “Although it is remote and there’s poverty here, there are many lovely families here who are in need of pastoring,” he said. In the same year, he married the daughter of the pastor of his church and had two sons.
Life of ministry
Ru Zongren is fervently devoted to God. Since he started serving in ministry, he has not had a fixed salary for six consecutive years. Instead, he relies on offerings from his parents and fellow church members to live a faith-based life. It wasn’t until 2013 did the church begin to provide some assistance, and in 2015, they started giving him a monthly allowance of 500 yuan for living expenses. Despite the challenging circumstances, his zeal for spreading the Gospel remains unwavering. During those times Ru Zongren served in the ministry of Chengxi Christian Church the church grew to have four hundred believers.
His church demolished
On May 19, 2015, Ru Zongren’s church was forcibly demolished by the local Chinese government. Li Fei led more than a hundred so-called urban management officers and members of the community to destroy the church in broad daylight. Ru Zongren called the police, but the local government refused to help.
In order to protect the church’s private property, Ru stepped in, but he was strangled by the self-proclaimed urban management officers. The pastor went into shock and suffered several injuries. In addition, the beating resulted in acute kidney failure. Ru Zongren can only rely on kidney dialysis to sustain his life.
No Compensation
Local authorities have not provided compensation for Ru’s medical expenses. According to the law of China, compensation should include child-rearing allowances and medical expenses. The government later only compensated him with 300,000 RMB (~$41,000) to treat his kidney failure. The doctor suggested dialysis or a kidney transplant, which will incur costs far beyond the compensation amount.
Ru Zongren has been forced to defend his rights for nearly a decade, and the government often retaliates against this behavior. During the times which the government considers sensitive periods, the local government department will conduct special surveillance on Ru Zongren.
~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid
