Reflections from Pastor John Cao is a series of poetry and writings from the recently released Chinese Christian prisoner of conscience exclusively published by ChinaAid. The pieces below were written on April 22, 2024 and has been minimally edited for clarity. To read more of Pastor John Cao’s poetry, one can purchase the collection written while he was imprisoned, Living Lyrics: Poems from Prison.
Three months before I was released from prison, I received “pre-release education”. Nearly all the police officers in my prison section educated me daily, essentially advising me not to commit crimes again after my release. They all told me that I should pay more attention to the law after I get out, as society has changed a lot in these seven years, and I shouldn’t inadvertently violate the law again. They were both dutiful and caring. I am quite grateful to them. Police officers don’t say “goodbye” to released inmates, indicating they hope the released inmates won’t return to prison.
Many people don’t actively learn about the law. Their understanding of the law is mostly gained through the crimes and sentences of those around them. At least that’s how it is for me. Recently, I’ve realized through the convictions and sentences of quite a few people that the warnings from the prison police officers were not unfounded.
After my release, I learned about some cases related to me, for example:
- Chen Wensheng was arrested by the Hengyang City Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “organizing and funding illegal gatherings”.
- Elder Zhang Chunlei was arrested on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” and “fraud”.
- Elders Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan were arrested on November 17, 2021 on suspicion of “fraud”. Church pastors Lian Changnian, Lian Xuliang, and preacher Fu Juan were also arrested on suspicion of “fraud”, and the prosecutors recommended a sentence of 5 years each.
- Song Yude was charged on suspicion of “sabotaging the enforcement of law by organizing and utilizing cult organizations” due to his Christian faith.
- Chang Hao was charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. The specific content of this crime is: “repeatedly posting and forwarding false information and inappropriate remarks on the Internet, causing serious disturbance to public order and having a bad social impact.”
When I looked at the charges and sentences of the above-mentioned people, I exclaimed in my heart: “Oh my goodness”. Why? Because I have committed all the crimes that these pastors, elders, and preachers committed.
First, let’s talk about this “fraud” crime. After I was released, I couldn’t get an ID card. The Changsha City Overseas Chinese Affairs Office required me to provide “proof of stable income” before they would issue a certificate for me to register for a household and apply for an ID card. But without an ID card, where could I find a job? Without an ID card, not to mention being unable to prove that I have a stable income, even supporting myself would be a problem. Fortunately, many brothers and sisters learned of my plight and sent me quite a lot of donations, so I was spared from hunger and cold. I had enough to eat, but I definitely committed the crime of “fraud”. Pastor Lian Changnian is my friend. He committed the crime of “fraud”. My behavior as a pastor is exactly the same as his illegal behavior, which is accepting donations from others. If that’s not “fraud”, then what is it?
Now let’s talk about on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”. Several pastors have been prosecuted under this charge. As for what specific behavior this crime involves, no one knows. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that citizens have the right to supervise public servants. It further explains that “the right to supervise refers to the right of citizens to supervise all personnel exercising public power. It is an indispensable part of citizens’ right to participate in politics and is the most dynamic part in the state power supervision system.” However, once a Christian pastor, elder, or preacher earnestly and truly supervises, it is very likely to be considered on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”. I was sentenced to seven years in prison. I was not satisfied with the verdict. Based on the concept of “injustice provokes outcry”, I wrote a few articles to complain. Now I feel that this has indeed already fallen under on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”, and the sentence should be enough for me to serve for several years.
I guess my third crime is probably on suspicion of “sabotaging the enforcement of law by organizing and utilizing cult organizations”. I am a pastor of a house church, and house churches are illegal organizations in the eyes of some low-level officials, and illegal organizations are evil cults. Low-level officials explain that the law does not allow evil cult members to gather, and I participated in house church gatherings, so it should not take much effort to charge me with on suspicion of “sabotaging the enforcement of law by organizing and utilizing cult organizations”.
In addition, “organizing and funding illegal gatherings” can also be added to my charges. Not long ago, I organized a dinner party with more than 20 people attending, and everyone prayed. I recall that more than a dozen people were criminally detained for praying in public and sentenced to 15 days in jail. I think what I did was undoubtedly organizing illegal activities in public. Plus, I recently used someone else’s ID card for a physical examination, which may also be the crime of “fraudulently using another person’s ID card”.
There is also a serious crime that I almost missed, called “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, which is “posting inappropriate remarks on the Internet, causing serious disturbance to public order and having a bad social impact”. This charge seems familiar. During the Cultural Revolution, it was called “active counterrevolutionary”. If you read the phrase “causing a bad social impact” in the verdict, you know that the next sentence is often: “execution is not enough to appease the people’s anger”. Now this crime is only punishable by a few years, which shows that society has made great progress.
I have some other behaviors that are definitely crimes as well, but it would require relevant experts to make some arguments.
In short, there is a possibility of multiple crimes and punishments. I originally wanted to flee to escape punishment, but then I thought, where could I flee to without even an ID card? It’s probably better to turn myself in. Maybe I can get a lighter sentence.
