House Church Christians in Xinjiang Arrested in a Gathering of Three

Contact: Bob Fu, China Aid Association, Inc., 432-689-6985, 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org  

MIDLAND, Texas, Sept. 27 /Standard Newswire/ -- CAA learned that a new measure against unregistered religious activities, especially house churches, has been issued. Beijing public security authority issued a public notice recently to forbid all the owners of rental housing properties to from renting to house church members wanting to use their property for worship services. Meanwhile, two more house church leaders were detained in Xinjiang on September 2.

According to a report by the official Beijing Evening News (http://www.sina.com.cn), on September 5, the Population Management Office of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a public notice in order to raise the landlords' awareness of doing their duties for the public security, the police have been asked to "organize the staff in the entire bureau and all the local police stations in an intensive inspection of the 'No rental to five types of prospective tenants'."  The police warn all the owners of rental housing properties that they should, on their own initiative, refuse to rent their properties to "five types of prospective tenants," including people who are accused of engaging in the so-called "illegal religious activities". According to numerous reports received from CAA, many house churches in Beijing were pressured to stop gathering or to leave Beijing. "This is clearly a new tactic to persecute house churches before 2008 Beijing Olympics is held," one Beijing house church leader told CAA. Several legal scholars and lawyers had written articles recently stating that this practice is neither legal nor reasonable.

CAA has learned that Sister Guo and Sister Li, two house church members in Huocheng County, Yili Prefecture, Xinjiang were arrested and are being detained indefinitely at Huocheng County Detention Center.  

Guo and Li were arrested on September 2, 2007 when they went to have a gathering with a brother who was recuperating from a broken leg at home located at Team 3, Brigade 9, Lucaogou in Huocheng County, Yili Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region.  The police arrested them on the grounds that their gathering at a private residence was illegal.  On the second day, the police went to search the house.  On both occasions, the police didn't show any arrest or search warrants.

Fellow Christians trying to visit the detained sisters in the detention center on September 11 were turned away.

China Aid thinks Guo and Li's house gathering is protected by the international law, the Chinese Constitution and "Document No. 19" of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and China Aid urges the Chinese authorities to handle Guo and Li's case in a fair and just way according to the Chinese law.   China Aid also urges Christians and all people concerned about this case to send short messages to the people at Huocheng County Public Security Bureau to our concerns and love for our detained sisters.

Cell Phone numbers in Hucheng PSB office:
Director of Police: Mr. Wang Keqiang +86- 13909999156
Director of Domestic Security Protection: Mr. Di Li Xia Ti +86-13519980871
Deputy Director of Domestic Security Protection: Mr. Li Gang +86-13899703878
Director of Detention Center: Mr. Jiao Feng +86-13909991370
Deputy Director of Detention Center: Mr. Sun Baoliang+86-13031375159
Ms. Wu Aiying, minister of Ministry of Justice of PRC
Tel: +86-10-65205114
Fax: +86-10-64729863
Address: No. 10, Nan Da Jie, Chaoyangmen, Beijing City (Zip Code: 100020)

Issued by China Aid Association Inc. on September 26, 2007 © China Aid Association, Inc

Report by the official Beijing Evening News:
Landlords in Beijing must not rent to prospective tenants suspected of violating normal work and rest schedule
Beijing Evening News; 2:30 p.m. September 5, 2007; http://www.sina.com.cn
Beijing Evening News (Reporter: Guan Xihua): Population Management Office of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a public notice today that in order to raise the landlords' awareness of doing their duties for the public security, the police will in the coming days organize the staff in the entire bureau and all the local police stations in an intensive inspection on "No rental to five types of prospective tenants."

The police remind all the owners of rental housing properties that they should on their own initiative refuse to rent their properties to "five types of prospective tenants."  These prospective tenants are: people without valid identification documents; people who engage in illegal business activities; people who engage in illegal religious activities; people who use the rental properties for illegal manufacturing, storage and operation of flammable, explosive materials and other dangerous contrabands; people who violate the regular work and rest schedules and who are suspected of using the rental housing for illegal and criminal activities.