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As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intensified its
crackdown on religious beliefs, the outdoor Easter
worship by the Shouwang Church, a major Christian
house church in Beijing, was blocked, with congregations
dispersed and arrested by police. U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom urged the CCP
to stop suppressing peaceful religious activities.
Recently, the crackdown on house churches escalated.
Religious activities in many provinces were interfered
by police. Some house churches received warnings from
the authorities, prohibiting any Easter gatherings.
Some pastors and believers were summoned by police
or house arrested.
On Apr. 24, congregations of the Shouwang Church
worshipped in the Zhongguancun Plaza for the 3rd
consecutive Sunday, but were blocked again by police.
Over 30 followers were taken away to the police station.
Zhongguancun Square was closed.
According to China Aid, on that day, about 500 followers
of the Shouwang Church were blocked at home by police.
Pastor Jin Tianming, a Tsinghua graduate and founder of
the Church, and all other church staff were all
under house arrest by police.
Jin Tianming: "Police continuously block many people
at home. All major church staff were watched over
by guard at their doors, and could not go out."
The Shouwang Church was established in 1993, with
about 1,000 members. Located in university area,
it attracts many professors, students and scientific elites.
Persecuted by the Beijing police, the Church still had
no place for worship over the past year or so.
In 2009, the church purchased a venue, but under
the CCP's pressure, the developer still did not give
the key to the church. They can only worship outdoors.
Bob Fu, director of China Aid, said, "The authorities
utilized all kinds of methods to pressure landlords
not to rent a place to the church. So, the church
has no other choices but worship outdoors,
unless they dissolve the church,
but that is something against their faith and conscience."
On Apr. 10, over 200 followers did outdoor worship
in the Zhongguancun Plaza, but were surrounded and
assaulted by police, with 160 followers taken to
a nearby school for interrogation.
On April 17, followers held an outdoor worship,
but 50 people were arrested by the police.
On Apr. 12, Shouwang Church issued an online appeal
to draw international attention on the worship freedom
in China. At least 24 house churches in China supported
them openly. Several religious groups both home and
abroad also expressed support to them.
Currently, website of the Church has been forcibly closed.
Zan Aizong (Hangzhou house church member):
"Worship in church is normal, as Chinese Constitution
guarantee freedom of religion. It is wrong to block
people from gathering, as the Constitution should be
implemented. Premiere Wen Jiabao said if there were
no human rights, there was no justice.
Justice is more brilliant than the sun.
Isn't it that the CCP say one thing and do another?
We should protect the religious freedom of citizens,
and allow people in the Church to worship freely."
AP reported that over 60 million Christians in China
worship in house churches, while the officially recognized
churches have only 20 million people.
The Catholic underground church, Tibetan Buddhism,
Falun Gong and other beliefs have long been expelled
by the atheistic CCP.
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
issued a statement condemning the CCP's suppression of
house churches during the Easter.
The U.S. annual human rights report criticized China
for strengthened persecution of Falun Gong,
house church and other faith groups.
NTD reporters Li Yuanhan and Ge Lei.
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