Chinese Military Police Ready to Crackdown “Xinjiang”-style: Nine Fushan Church Leaders Kidnapped
“September 29, 2009
SHANXI–On Friday, September 25, nine Fushan Church leaders, including Pastor Yang Rongli, were kidnapped by Shanxi PSB officers while traveling to Beijing to petition the central government for justice concerning the local authorities’ brutal attack on September 13th. They were illegally seized without warrant, and have not been heard from since Friday night. After the arrests, local authorities forcibly confiscated all computers, TVs and other church-owned valuables, calling them “illegal materials.” Remaining church leaders and active members were placed under house arrest and are now under constant surveillance.
On September 26, the central government stationed state military police inside the main Fushan Church in Linfen city, where 5,000 of the 50,000-member Linfen House Church network worship together weekly, to prevent them from entering the building or holding services. Military police now guard the building and the surrounding areas around the clock. More than 30 daughter churches in nearby townships have been prohibited from gathering to worship in their churches and homes.
ChinaAid has since learned that the central government was and is directly responsible for the escalating crackdown campaign against the Linfen Church. Ironically twisting the facts, the Beijing PSB has categorized the Linfen Church incident as a ‘violent uprising’ and resolved to use military force to subdue the alleged “unrest.” Reliable government sources informed ChinaAid that a notice was sent to all relevant government agencies over the weekend, ordering them to be prepared to use military force to crackdown on the churches throughout China, in the same way the recent violent incident in Xinjiang was suppressed. They are calling the maneuver the “Xinjiang Model, ” a method that resulted in the deaths of several hundred people in Xinjiang in August.
Adding to the deception, Fushan PSB officials met with church leaders on September 19, under the pretense of negotiating a settlement. They kidnapped six church leaders from their homes that night and falsely offered the church 1.4 million yen in reparations, promising to pay under the condition that the church not construct a building for religious purposes in the future. (Learn more about the Midnight Negotiations, 9/21/2009) The continued arrests and unprovoked state military enforcement in the church confirm the fake negotiations were a tactic to delay any actions against the Central government.
“To have military police occupy a peaceful church is an unprecedented tragic development in 60 years of PRC history, which itself shows the reality of today’s situation regarding religious freedom in China, ” ChinaAid President Bob Fu stated. “The Chinese government has no reason to be fearful of the peaceful Christian church. We call upon the international community to continue to urge the Chinese government to respect Chinese citizens’ religious freedom and to avoid shedding innocent blood.”
ChinaAid denounces the tragic twisting of truth comparing the attack on Fushan Church to the Xinjiang incident and the excessive use of military force to suppress the Linfen House Churches. We call for the immediate release of the kidnapped church leaders, and the rightful restoration of all church property. We further call on the Chinese central government to cease enacting the “Xinjiang Model” of military involvement to unjustly subdue a peaceful church populace.
We call on the international community to continue protesting the brutal treatment of Christians and the suppression of religious freedom in China. Please continue to pray for justice and healing for the victims of the attack, and that the Chinese government will cease the use of military forces to repress persons of faith, according to the law.
Contact the following offices in Fushan County (supervised by) Linfen City:
Mayor’s Office of Linfen City: +86-357-209-1044
Public Security Bureau of Linfen City: +86-357-218-8317
Office of the Fushan County Administrator: +86-357-813-6099
Public Security Bureau of Fushan County: +86-357-812-6199
For English speakers, contact the Chinese Ambassador:
Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
3505 International Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 495-2000
Fax: (202) 588-9760
Chinese Embassy Press Secretary Baodong
Tel: 202-495-2218
NOTE: If you are a citizen of another country, please click here to find the contact information of the Chinese embassy in your own nation http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/2490/.”