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Home , Houjie, Meizhou, Samuel Lamb

Refugee Review Tribunal

AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: CHN30006 Country: Date: 14 March 2006

Keywords: China – – Protestants – Catholics – Underground Churches

This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Questions 1. What was the situation for the Protestant in Guangdong from 1990 to March 1998? 2. What was the situation for the Catholic underground church in Guangdong from 1990 to March 1998? 3. What is the position nowadays for both churches?

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports United Nations (UN) Non-Government Organisations International News & Politics Region Specific Links Topic Specific Links Search Engines Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/ Online Subscription Services Library Networks University Sites

Databases: Public FACTIVA Reuters Business Briefing DIMIA BACIS Country Information REFINFO IRBDC Research Responses (Canada) RRT ISYS RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. RRT Library FIRST RRT Library Catalogue

RESPONSE

1. What was the situation for the Protestant underground church in Guangdong from 1990 to March 1998? 2. What was the situation for the Catholic underground church in Guangdong from 1990 to March 1998?

No detailed analysis on the situation of Protestants or Catholics in Guangdong Province was found among the sources consulted. The following reports provide some useful material, although some contradict each other. The reports are listed under three headings: those which refer to Christians in general in Guangdong during the 1990s; those which refer to Protestants; and those which refer specifically to Catholics. Some reports indicate that during the 1990s Guangdong was considered to be one of the more liberal provinces in its application of religious regulations. Other reports refer to periodic crackdowns, arrests of religious leaders, and to the banning of Christmas celebrations in the early 1990s. The introduction of new religious regulations in 1998 seemed to signal a hardening of attitude by the authorities in Guangdong.

Christians in Guangdong

The section on Guangdong Province in the 1999 book by Tony Lambert, China’s Christian Millions (which deals mostly with Protestants), states:

Guangdong Province Population: 69.6 million

Although Guangdong was the first province to be evangelised by Western Protestant missionaries as early as 1807, it is not in the forefront of church growth today. There were about 80,000 Protestants by 1949. Today official estimates put the number at only 200,000 which is doubtless very low, and does not take into account numerous believers. Nevertheless, the -speaking southerners may be more resistant to the gospel than other Chinese, partly because of the infamous association of Christianity in their minds with the trade as a hated “foreign religion”. itself may have 50,000 Christians.

Apart from several large TSPM [Three Self Patriotic Movement] churches in the city, Pastor Samuel Lamb has run a thriving unregistered house church over the last twenty years, at which thousands have come to faith and been baptised. The church appears o be strongest in the eastern part of the province. (Swatow) has at least 10,000 believers in eleven churches in the city itself, and 142 meeting-points in the surrounding countryside. The Hakka-speaking areas of Municipality had 60,000 Christians in 1997.

Another area which has seen spectacular growth is the Xuwen peninsular where there are over 10,000 believers. One meeting-point with only 40 members in July 1`993 had grown to 650 by September 1994. In 1991 there were reportedly 23 churches and four home meetings in the area (Lambert, Tony 1999, China’s Christian Millions, OMF Publications, p.211-212 – Attachment 1).

The following news stories on Christians in Guangdong date from between 1990 and 1998. A 1996 report states that there had been “reports of a crackdown in provinces like Henan, An hui and Guangdong” (Kwan, Daniel 1996, ‘Christians freed in “good health”‘, South China Morning Post, 22 July – Attachment 2).

A 1993 report states that three years before, “Christmas was officially cancelled in Guangdong province…All public celebrations of the Christian feast were banned outside government sanctioned churches. People were ordered not to put up any decorations and Chinese students were warned they shouldn’t engage in the bourgeois liberal practice of sending each other Christmas cards”. Ironically, Guangdong was a centre for toy manufacture (Goodspeed, Peter 1993, ‘China trying to contain religious ferment’, Toronto Star, 5 December – Attachment 3).

A 1993 report states that “the Guangdong authorities maintain a relatively liberal – if wary – attitude towards religion and its adherents. As a result, the province’s Christian churches enjoy a level of freedom unmatched in the rest of China”. The report refers to an apparent flourishing of both Protestant and Catholic churches in Guangdong, but does comment on incidents of harassment of churchgoers, and the stationing of police outside one religious figure’s house (Goldstein, Carl 1993, ‘China – Free to keep the faith’, Far Eastern Economic Review, 8 April – Attachment 4).

A 1990 report refers to the detention of a Christian leader on the grounds that he had violated religious regulations. Guangdong had issued its own regulations requiring that religious workers register with the Guangdong Three-self Patriotic Movement. The detention of the leader was endorsed by a senior Chinese government official, who said that the “Guangdong provincial government had the legal right to issue its own regulations governing religious activities in the province” (Kwan, Daniel 1990, ‘Guangdong rules on religion backed”, South China Morning Post, 10 March – Attachment 5).

The following two RRT Research Responses examine the situation of Christians in Guangdong. They both cover a slightly later period than was requested, but contain some relevant information.

Pages 6-7 of a 2001 response discuss the restrictive religious regulations that were introduced in Guangdong in May 1998 and the crackdowns that followed (RRT Country Research 2001, Research Response CHN14548, 19 March – Attachment 6).

A 2000 response looks at incidents of arrest and harassment of Christians in Guangdong in 1999-2000 (RRT Country Research 2000, Research Response CHN14236, 1 August – Attachment 7).

Protestants in Guangdong

The following reports refer specifically to Protestants in Guangdong.

A 1997 report discusses the detention of “an officially ordained pastor” of the Three Self Patriotic Church, for acting outside his authority:

An officially ordained pastor in Guangdong has lost his job for preaching outside the province. The Reverend Li Lisheng, of Protestant Church, went to Shaanxi in June and was detained by local public security officials for preaching without authorisation.

According to Christian sources, Mr Li was arrested after he was found explaining the Bible and distributing religious pamphlets on a train to Shaanxi.

He was held for two days before being sent back to Guangdong. On his return, his church held a meeting, where Mr Li was criticised. He was subsequently sacked and lost his pastorate.

Hu Daxian, secretary-general of Huizhou Protestant Church, said Mr Li was sacked not for sharing the Christian faith but for failing to follow the church’s orders and the Government’s religious policy.

Under religious regulations, itinerant evangelism is banned and religious practitioners cannot preach outside their designated venues. They must seek local authority approval before delivering sermons or holding services, even when officially invited by local churches (Kwan, Daniel 1997, ‘Pastor dismissed for preaching elsewhere’, South China Morning Post, 20 October – Attachment 8).

A 1994 report states that five Christians from a Guangdong house church were detained after morning service and interrogated for four hours before being released. Bibles and religious materials were confiscated (Chan, Wai-Fong 1994, ‘Police question five Christians’, South China Morning Post, 17 August – Attachment 9).

Another 1994 report mentions the closing down of “a large evangelical house church in Guangdong province” (Himmelfarb, Anne 1994, ‘Human Rights: China’s unholy war continues’, The Asian Wall Street Journal, 17 February – Attachment 10).

A 1991 report discusses the well-known Baptist pastor Lin Xiangao (known in English as Samuel Lamb) who preaches to large congregations in a house church in Guangdong. Lin spent over twenty years in prison during the Cultural Revolution for his beliefs, and the authorities still detain and question him for short periods in an effort to pressure him to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (WuDunn, Sheryl 1991, ‘Guangdong pastor jailed twice but still preaching’, Straits Times, 29 June – Attachment 11).

A 1990 article, also on Reverend Lin Xiangao, discusses a recent raid on his house church by 60 agents of the Public Security Bureau. The house was “stripped bare of all the bibles, hymnals, books and other essential equipment” and ordered to shut down (‘Iron fist tightens around the church’ 1990, South China Morning Post, 23 September – Attachment 12).

Catholics in Guangdong

The following reports refer specifically to Catholics in Guangdong.

A 1997 report comments that although there had been a crackdown on some underground Catholic churches in China, “in Guangdong province in southern China, there has been a slow spread of so-called open churches, Roman Catholic communities that give fealty to Rome rather than to the Patriotic Association” [the state-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association does not acknowledge the authority of the Vatican] (Gargan, Edward 1997, ‘Anxiety in over religious liberty’, The New York Times, 5 April – Attachment 13). However, an earlier report dating from 1993 states that Catholics are relatively free to worship in Guangdong, and thus have no need for underground churches:

Among those provinces with sizeable Catholic populations, Guangdong is the only province with no underground church. Catholic activists say the reason is that local religious affairs authorities, who operate under the close supervision of security agencies and the communist party, allow the officially sanctioned church enough leeway so that believers do not feel the need for one (Goldstein, Carl 1993, ‘China – Free to keep the faith’, Far Eastern Economic Review, 8 April – Attachment 4).

Two 1999 Refinfo reports look at aspects of the situation for Catholics in Guangdong:

• One report looks at relations between Catholics and Buddhists in Guangdong, stating that any tensions between them tend to happen at village level. Government harassment tends to be directed towards any followers of religious beliefs, and are not expressions of interfaith conflict (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1999, CHN31465.E – China: Treatment of Catholics who refuse to convert to Buddhism, particularly in Guangdong province (1996-1999), 10 March – Attachment 14).

• The other looks at differential treatment of Catholics by police in Guangdong. There was no evidence that police favoured Buddhists over Catholics, and any poor treatment would not be the result of interfaith struggle (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1999, CHN31465.E – China: Treatment of Catholics who refuse to convert to Buddhism, particularly in Guangdong province (1996-1999), 10 March – Attachment 15).

3. What is the position nowadays for both churches?

No detailed analysis on the current situation of Protestants or Catholics in Guangdong Province was found among the sources consulted. The following reports from the last few years provide some useful information on Christian communities and religious regulations in Guangdong, and recent arrests.

A 2005 article by Tony Lambert [the author of China’s Christian Millions, which was quoted earlier] states that a recent estimate for the number Protestant Christians in Guangdong is 262,000, but that this is probably too low: GUANGDONG: this figure of 262,000 based on ANS/TSPM estimates seems extremely conservative, yet I have not seen a more realistic TSPM estimate. Certainly, the Cantonese have been traditionally rather resistant to the gospel, (a popular phrase gong Yeso (talking about Jesus) means “talking rubbish”). However, it is likely the true figure is much higher. There are many house churches, of which the 3,000-strong fellowship led by Lin Xiangao in Guangzhou itself is the best known example. (Lambert, Tony 2005, ‘How many Christians in China?’, China Insight Newsletter, OMF website, August/September, http://www.us.omf.org/content.asp?id=45076 – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 16).

A November 2004 report describes the ordination of a new Catholic bishop in in Guangdong. The report is interesting because it refers to a substantial Catholic community which is affiliated with the Vatican: At least 2,000 people on November 9 attended the ceremony in which Mgr Paul Su Yongda was ordained bishop in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province (southern China). Guests from Hong Kong and were also present. Only 300 people could get inside St. Victor’s Cathedral. The rest had to stay outside and view the televised liturgy in the cathedral’s open compound.

Bishop Fang Xingyao of Linyi, Shandong province, presided over the ordination. Co-ordaining prelates were Bishop Joseph Liao Hongqing of Meizhou, Guangdong, and Coadjutor Bishop Tan Yanquan of Nanning, Guangxi. Bishop Wu Shizhen of , , was also present.

Prior to his ordination, the 49-year-old new bishop was the diocese’s long time administrator.

As a sign of communion with John Paul II, he opted for ‘Duc in altum’ as Episcopal motto. The Pope had chosen these words to embody his vision of what the Church’s mission ought to be in the third millennium (cf Apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte of January 6, 2001).

Bishop Paul Su Yongda’s coat of arms shows a boat sailing into open waters against a background of China’s Great Wall and high rises, with a dove representing the Holy Spirit dangling an olive branch in the sky. Evangelisation among city people in his diocese is a major element of his mission.

With about 30,000 believers, Zhanjiang diocese has a sizeable Catholic community with the number of Catholics in rural areas steadily growing. However, for Bishop Su, it is time to “develop the Church in the cities with hopes of attracting educated people and thereby expanding the Church.”

Zhanjiang diocese has five priests (including one in his 90s), four seminarians studying at Wuchang Seminary in . Pastoral work falls to 20 nuns and the laity (‘Mgr Paul Su Yongda, new bishop of Zhanjiang’ 2004, AsiaNews.it, 15 November, http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=1903 – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 17).

Question 1 of a 2004 RRT Research Response looks at instances of Christians being harassed or detained in Guangdong and includes reports from 2000-2003, chiefly from Christian sources (RRT Country Research 2004, Research Response CHN16387, 9 January – Attachment 18).

A June 2003 report from the International Christian Concern website states:

In the province of Guangdong, local regulations have been added to the government ones. Illegal materials (any unapproved foreign religious material) cannot be sold, distributed, copied, or shipped. Chinese residents cannot accept any outside money or assistance from foreigners or foreign organizations. The existence of any unapproved religious organization or personnel is illegal. Foreigners cannot establish a religious organization, churches, appoint any pastors/leaders, distribute religious materials, train disciples, or conduct any other religious activities. Foreign organizations cannot recruit religious students from overseas to attend religious universities in China without the approval of the Chinese government. All of these crimes are punishable by fines of $2,200 to $11,000 (‘Asia: China – Country Report’ 2003, International Christian Concern website, June, http://www.persecution.org/Countries/china_2.html – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 19)

A 2003 item from the Voice of the Martyrs website states:

Two Christians arrested in Guangdong Officers of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) arrested a pastor of one of the house churches in Guangdong Province and his son last week. Shortly after a church meeting began in the afternoon, 30 officers of the Public Security Bureau stormed the meeting, bringing it to a halt. They then arrested Yang Qun, who is the house church leader, and his son. The son of the pastor has since been released but Pastor Yang Qun is still being held by the PSB. Yang Qun has been fined 10,000 RMB, which he refused to pay (‘Two Christians arrested in Guangdong’ 2003, Voice of the Martyrs website, 6 March, http://www.persecution.com.au/news/article.asp?artID={0AFA2818- F266-49BB-B034-164A44266E75}&keyword=Yang%20Qun – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 20).

A 2003 report from a Christian website describes arrests in late 2002:

Jianchao Pan, female, 30, from Guangxi Province, and Yingying Quan, female, 31, from Guangxi Province, worked in City, Guangdong Province. They rented a house at Town, Dongguan City. They often assembled with some workers from other places.

At the noon time of November 6th, 2002, there were six Christians meeting at the house. Among them were Haifen Tan (female, 21, from Douyang County, Guangxi Province), Qixi Ban (male, 27, from Qining County, Guangxi Province), Xiaoyan Lin (female, 30, from Mei County, Guangdong Province), Deliang Muo (male, 32, from City, Guangdong Province). Suddenly, more than a dozen police from Dongguan City Public Security Department broke into house. Without any explanation, the police cuffed everyone’s hands, ransacked the house, and confiscated some Bibles, four cellular phones (worth more than 10,000 RMB), and 3000 RMB cash. Then the police shouted at those standing around and looking: “These people assembled illegally. They are against the country!” Then the police escorted the six Christians to the police department.

The six Christians have been detained since then. No visitors are allowed, even the family members. Jianchao Pan and Yingying Quan were not present when the police came. So they were not detained. But, Police Jianliang Shi went to their boss and gave him a wanted order, asking him to collaborate to help the police to arrest them. Therefore, they have been living a fugitive life since then (‘Guangdong Province: Six Christians detained and two wanted’ 2003, CIPRC website, http://www.china21.org/English/News/2003/042403.htm – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 21).

A 2002 report refers to a further arrest of house church pastor Li Dexian. He had already been arrested more than a dozen times since 1999 [one of these occasions is mentioned in Attachment 7] and his services disrupted (‘Persecution Watch: China’ 2002, Federal Way Vineyard website, 15 April, http://www.vineyardfederalway.org/pages/missions/persecution/html/China.htm – Accessed 14 March 2006 – Attachment 22).

List of Attachments

1. Lambert, Tony 1999, China’s Christian Millions, OMF Publications (RRT Library: 275.0951 LAM)

2. Kwan, Daniel 1996, ‘Christians freed in “good health”‘, South China Morning Post, 22 July (FACTIVA)

3. Goodspeed, Peter 1993, ‘China trying to contain religious ferment’, Toronto Star, 5 December (FACTIVA). 4. Goldstein, Carl 1993, ‘China – Free to keep the faith’, Far Eastern Economic Review, 8 April (FACTIVA).

5. Kwan, Daniel 1990, ‘Guangdong rules on religion backed”, South China Morning Post, 10 March (FACTIVA).

6. RRT Country Research 2001, Research Response CHN14548, 19 March

7. RRT Country Research 2000, Research Response CHN14236, 1 August

8. Kwan, Daniel 1997, ‘Pastor dismissed for preaching elsewhere’, South China Morning Post, 20 October (FACTIVA).

9. Chan, Wai-Fong 1994, ‘Police question five Christians’, South China Morning Post, 17 August (FACTIVA).

10. Himmelfarb, Anne 1994, ‘Human Rights: China’s unholy war continues’, The Asian Wall Street Journal, 17 February (FACTIVA).

11. WuDunn, Sheryl 1991, ‘Guangdong pastor jailed twice but still preaching’, Straits Times, 29 June (FACTIVA).

12. ‘Iron fist tightens around the church’ 1990, South China Morning Post, 23 September (FACTIVA).

13. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1999, CHN31465.E – China: Treatment of Catholics who refuse to convert to Buddhism, particularly in Guangdong province (1996-1999), 10 March (CISNET-Refinfo)

14. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1999, CHN31465.E – China: Treatment of Catholics who refuse to convert to Buddhism, particularly in Guangdong province (1996-1999), 10 March (CISNET-Refinfo ).

15. Lambert, Tony 2005, ‘How many Christians in China?’, China Insight Newsletter, OMF website, August/September, http://www.us.omf.org/content.asp?id=45076 – Accessed 14 March 2006

16. ‘Mgr Paul Su Yongda, new bishop of Zhanjiang’ 2004, AsiaNews.it, 15 November, http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=1903 – Accessed 14 March 2006

17. RRT Country Research 2004, Research Response CHN16387, 9 January

18. ‘Asia: China – Country Report’ 2003, International Christian Concern website, June, http://www.persecution.org/Countries/china_2.html – Accessed 14 March 2006)

19. ‘Two Christians arrested in Guangdong’ 2003, Voice of the Martyrs website, 6 March, http://www.persecution.com.au/news/article.asp?artID={0AFA2818-F266- 49BB-B034-164A44266E75}&keyword=Yang%20Qun – Accessed 14 March 2006

20. ‘Guangdong Province: Six Christians detained and two wanted’ 2003, CIPRC website, http://www.china21.org/English/News/2003/042403.htm – Accessed 14 March 2006 21. ‘Persecution Watch: China’ 2002, Federal Way Vineyard website, 15 April, http://www.vineyardfederalway.org/pages/missions/persecution/html/China.htm – Accessed 14 March 2006