(Zhenxiong, Yunnan province -11/04/2024) On the morning of October 27, 2024, Chang Hao, a rural preacher in Zhenxiong, Yunnan, ended his 12-day administrative detention and walked out of the Zhenxiong County Detention Center, but was unable to reunite with his family immediately because the community staff drove Chang Hao directly to the Poji Town Police Station. Subsequently, Chang Hao was interviewed by the deputy secretary of the town, the director and deputy director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, the captains of the County State Security Brigade and the Municipal National Security Brigade respectively. And they asked Chang Hao to either register or join the Three-Self Church. Chang Hao made it clear:
“It is impossible to persuade me to give up my faith. Not to mention going to jail, I will maintain my faith even if I am beheaded.”
After the interviews were completed one by one, Chang Hao was sent home. After returning home, Chang Hao learned that during his detention, the brothers and sisters in the church were subjected to varying degrees of pressure and intimidation. The church’s chairs, projectors, etc. were all looted, and the family in charge of the church reception and Chang Hao’s home had people standing guard day and night.
Preacher Chang Hao was released from prison in mid-May this year after serving a sentence of more than a year. On April 14, 2023, Chang Hao was taken away by the Zhenxiong Public Security Bureau, and was later arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and sentenced to one year and one month in prison by the Zhenxiong Court.
According to the detention release notice, Chang Hao’s crime was “harming society in the name of religion and qigong”. The department that detained Chang Hao was the Political Security Brigade of the Zhenxiong County Public Security Bureau, which was the former State Security Brigade. The actual reason for Chang Hao’s detention was that his church baptized new believers. On October 14, 2024, pastor John Cao (Cao Sanqiang) from Changsha, Hunan visited preacher Chang Hao in Zhenxiong, Yunnan. There were more than a dozen new believers in the church where preacher Chang Hao pastored who needed to be baptized. Out of respect for the church’s traditions, Chang Hao invited pastor John Cao to baptize them. On October 15, pastor John Cao explained Acts 2:28 to 13 new believers and baptized them. When Chang Hao announced the completion of the baptism, more than 20 police officers suddenly rushed into the gathering place, ordered everyone to hand over their mobile phones, and searched them one by one. Afterwards, the police used more than a dozen police cars to take all the participants to the Zhenxiong County Public Security Bureau. That night, all other Christians went home, pastor John Cao was taken back to Changsha by the police sent by the Changsha Public Security Bureau, and Chang Hao was detained for 12 days. It is reported that this is Chang Hao’s 20th administrative detention, and the reason for each detention is the same, that is, illegal preaching.
When Chang Hao worked in a factory in his early years, a fire at the factory burned his hands and he could no longer hold things, becoming a disabled person recognized by the state. After becoming a preacher, Chang Hao was summoned by the police many times for his faith and political attitude. On the evening of April 14, 2023, Chang Hao was taken away by the Zhenxiong Public Security Bureau. Bibles, spiritual books and gospel masks in his home were confiscated and seized. On May 15 of that year, he was charged with “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” and approved for arrest. On November 23, 2023, after two investigation withdrawals, Chang Hao was prosecuted by the procuratorate for the crime of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” to the Zhenxiong County People’s Court. The procuratorate accused him of “posting and forwarding false information and inappropriate remarks on the Internet many times, causing serious chaos in public order and causing serious negative social impact”. On the morning of May 14, 2024, the Zhenxiong Court sentenced Chang Hao to one year and one month in prison. Chang Hao was released from prison and returned home that day.
(Reported by Lemon, special correspondent for ChinaAid Network)