Persecution of the Christian Underground in

Conclusions of the Puebla Program on Religious Freedom

June 6, 1997

The seven conclusions that follow are based on the findings of an investigative mission to China led by Dr. Paul Marshall for the Puebla Program on Religious Freedom of Freedom House in May 1997. Dr. Marshall's findings immediately follow the conclusions.

1. China is continuing and intensifying its campaign against the Christian underground. The persecution against the underground generally is worse than it has been since the early 1980s.

Repression against the underground churches began to rise in 1994 after issued decrees 144 and 145 mandating the registration of religious groups. Initially government authorities attempted to induce registration by providing incentives-such as making Bibles available-and by forcing the house-churches to close. As of the summer of 1996, members of the Christian underground have noted a ratcheting up of the pressure against them, with authorities adopting harsher tactics. In particular, authorities have begun to target underground house-church leaders for arrest. Three-year sentences of "re-education" in labor camps are being more frequently reported for underground Christian leaders.

For Protestants, Henan province is one of the areas hardest hit. Protestant leaders report that about 40 percent of inmates in Henan laojiao or labor camps are there for belonging to the Christian underground. In Henan Number One Labor Camp, approximately 50 out of 126 inmates are imprisoned for activities. During the Freedom House team's visit 85 house-church were rounded up and arrested in two dragnet operations on May 14 in Zhoukou, Henan. On March 16, Peter Xu Yongze, perhaps the most important underground Protestant leader in China who heads the enormous "Full Scope Church" (also referred to as the "New Birth Church") network, was arrested and jailed with seven others in Henan. The Freedom House team received reports that 300 Protestants have been arrested in Louyang jail in Henan since July 1996. And it was in Henan that Zhang Xiuju, a 36-year old woman was beaten to death by police during an arrest for underground Christian activities on May 26, 1996.

The enormous underground Catholic pilgrimage at Our Lady of China Shrine in Donglu, Hebei Province, was prevented from taking place again this May. In Spring 1996 the pilgrimage-which had attracted at least 10,000 Catholics the prior year according to the Far Eastern Economic Review was crushed, the presiding priests and several bishops were imprisoned, and the shrine was desecrated.

Many of the Christian leaders interviewed believe that the crackdown is an attempt by the government to eradicate the Christian underground. Observing the role played by the churches in the democratization of the Soviet empire, the government views the churches within its own borders as a political threat. In recent months this political insecurity has been heightened by the death of Deng Xiaopeng and the take-over of Hong Kong. [Two recent official documents have surfaced in the West that support the observation that the government is set on an aggressive course to eradicate the underground churches: "Opinions Concerning the Implementation of the Special-Class Struggle Involving the Suppression of Catholic and Protestant Activities According to Law," issued by the Tong Xiang City Municipal Public Security Bureau, Chinese Communist Party Tong Xiang City Committee United Front Works Department, Feb. 27, 1997; and "The Legal Procedures to Implement the Eradication of Illegal Activities/Operations of the Underground Catholic Church," Issued by Donglai Township Committee, Chinese Communist Party for the County Committee of Chongren Xian in the Fuzhou District of Fujian Province, Nov. 20, 1996].

2. The intensifying persecution is pervasive. While some provinces are more repressive than others, repression has been stepped up in all the Provinces and regions from where the Freedom House team received reports, which represent over half of China. There are local areas where police tolerate underground , and indeed where some authorities and Communist officials are themselves part of the church, but the overall pattern of repression is not local but national.

3. Public Security Bureau police have tortured a number of underground Christians during interrogation over the past year. Underground Christians report brutal beatings that have resulted in paralysis, coma, and even death in some cases. Other methods of torture reported include binding detainees in excruciating positions, hanging detainees from their limbs, tormenting them with electric cattle prods, electric drills and other implements, and crushing the feet and ankles of Christians while they are forced to kneel. In some cases, the torture is applied to be witnessed by relatives, which itself is a form of psychological torture.

4. The underground Christian churches are the only nationwide civic grouping that exists outside of government control in China. There is, not even in the underground, an independent press, such as the samizdat presses that were found in the Soviet Union; there are no independent human rights groups or labor unions. As the U.S. Department of State reported in its annual human rights assessment for 1996, no dissidents are active in China.

5. While Pastors (Yuan Xiangchen) and Samuel Lam (Lin Xiangoa) e two of the most outstanding house-church leaders, their situation is not typical, as they themselves are the first to acknowledge. Allen Yuan's church has been closed down but he still operates with comparatively little interference from security officials. operates openly with up to 500 congregates in proximity to a police station and has an abundance of Bibles and other church supplies. The vast majority of house-churches do not and cannot operate in such an open way. Both of these pastors are elderly, have each spent over 20 years in labor camps, have a localized ministry and are not members of the larger networks. Most significantly they both have wide international recognition and so a crackdown on them would provoke an outcry. Consequently, the authorities may deem it easier to allow them to operate and may even use them to show that the religious situation is more open than is the case.

6. The government sanctioned Patriotic Associations for Protestants and Catholics have a comparatively easier time. Many of their members and pastors are sincere Christians. Nevertheless, the underground churches have valid reasons for refusing to accept government control through registration. 7. China's Christian churches, registered and underground, Catholic and Protestant, are experiencing explosive growth. Even the Chinese government figures indicate a seventeen-fold increase for the Patriotic churches from 1979-1996. All the church representatives the Freedom House team spoke with gave reports of a three-to four-fold increase of members since 1990, and a greater than ten-fold increase since 1980. In general there seems to be a growth rate of 15-25 percent of a year.

In many areas, the boundaries between registered and underground churches are blurred, as members and even leaders move back and forth between them. Ironically, the very campaign to eradicate the underground churches by the government may be spurring their growth. Underground leaders say that commitment required to practice one's faith in China leads to a strong, disciplined and growing church.

Freedom House was founded in 1941 by Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Wilkie to arouse Americans against Nazism and communism in Europe. It has been engaged in the promotion of democratic freedoms and human rights around the world for 56 years. Its Puebla Program has reported on religious persecution for over ten years and has conducted several fact-finding missions to China.

Puebla Program on Religious Freedom Report on Fact-Finding Mission to China May 11-27, 1997

1. Introduction I, Paul Marshall, am Academic Dean and Senior Fellow in Political Theory at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, have worked on the issue of religious persecution and human rights for the last fifteen years, and am the author of the recent book, Their Blood Cries Out. I led a three person team to China from May 11 to May 27, 1997, to investigate the situation of the underground churches in China on behalf of the Puebla Program on Religious Freedom at Freedom House. The following is my report: the conclusions are Freedom House's as well as my own.

In the following report I have not given the names of our underground interviewees (we said to them that we would not). We have also withheld the names and locations of certain Patriotic churches since we talked to them of their relations with underground churches.

2. The Trip During the trip we spent seven days in Beijing and surrounding rural areas (in two periods of three and four days), three days in Shanghai and surrounding rural areas, and four days in . In this period we visited two Patriotic Catholic churches in Beijing, including the Cathedral, and the Catholic Cathedral in Shanghai, the Mu'en Patriotic Protestant church in Shanghai, and Patriotic churches outside of Shanghai (in towns and villages).

We met and interviewed two of the better known "underground" church pastors-Allen Yuan (Yuan Xiangchen) in Beijing and Samuel Lamb (Lin Xiangao) in Guangzhou. In the former we attended a small bible study, in the latter a mid-week service.

We also met with more deeply underground Protestant church members in Beijing and Guangzhou. In all we interviewed 15 underground church members, 12 of whom are pastors, evangelists or in other leadership positions. These 12 travel throughout China, and they spoke about the situation in Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, , Tibet (Xizang), Shanxi, , Hunan, Shandong, Liaoing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Guizhou, Beijing, and Shanghai. This comprises over half of China's provinces and regions. All had previous arrests and had current arrest warrants outstanding against them. We were unable to speak with any underground Catholics. Our contacts, who spoke to seven underground Catholics on our behalf, informed us that the level of surveillance is so intense that none felt it safe to meet with foreigners. We did observe the houses of Bishop Fan (Joseph Fan Zhongliang) and the Jesuit Priest Sylvester (Zen Caijun) and confirmed that the latter was under surveillance.

3. Increase in Persecution All of the underground Protestants we spoke with said that the situation had become much tighter in the last three years and especially in the last few months (the beginning of this latest phase was described as July 1996 or September 1996.) The level of repression is worse than at any time since the early 1980s. In the period 1994-1996 the focus of the repression was on getting churches to register and on closing down unregistered churches; the latest phase also concentrates on the arrest of leaders and the breakup of church networks (from other sources it appears that the same pattern holds with the Catholics).

Underground members consistently held that the Chinese government is worried about the role that the church played in the breakdown of communism in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe, and the government is determined that nothing similar should happen in China. This was the reason for the intensification in 1994-1996. The latest phase seems more especially tied to the return of Hong Kong and uncertainty about the death of Deng Xiaoping. As one underground Pastor said, "they would like ll the church leaders in prison by July 1." [Some thought it might also be tied to the appointment in 1995 of the new head of the Religious Affairs Bureau, Ye Xiaowen, who is reputed to be a hardline communist and atheist.]

As is always the case in China, there is regional variation: some provinces and areas are more repressive than other depending on local government and party officials. Futhermore, to every statement about the churches in China, there are always exceptions. However, the situation has intensified in all the provinces from which we received reports. In Heilongjiang the situation has gone from the benign neglect in the 1980s and early 1990s to police demands for closure of unregistered places. In Henan there is increased torture of underground church leaders. Hence the variations remain but in each area there is a step up in the rung of control and repression. There were also reports that treatment by security forces is now more brutal, especially in Henan.

Note: in two instances we heard slight demurrals from the situation of increased repression, but on further questioning these did not differ from the above description. Samuel Lamb said his own situation was fine, with no problems -- but that he had heard that it was not so with others, including the rural areas around his home city of Guangzhou. An evangelist from Sichuan said that Christians were doing better, but later explained that this meant that they now had better escape plans and so the police are having a harder job catching them. Because of this the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in Sichuan is sending even first times to the laojiao ("re-education through labor" camp) for two to three years.

One should also note that the situation of Samuel Lamb and, to some degree Allen Yuan, is atypical. Pastor Lamb operates openly and has gatherings of up to 500 people upstairs from a police station. We surmise that, since he is now well know, the authorities think that closing him down is more trouble that it is worth. He is not part of the larger house church networks and does not operate outside of his home area. Also, he is well known internationally and his imprisonment would cause an outcry. The authorities may also treat it as a "show church" to prove their openness and contradict claims of religious persecution.

Interviewees reported the following:

• The standard sentence is now three years of "re-education through labor" in a labor camp (laojiao). For ordinary church members this is only applied after a third offense but it is often applied to leaders on a first offense, and is usually applied to evangelists who are preaching outside their home area. • In Number One Labor Camp (laojiao) in Henan, 50 out of 126 are there for underground church activities. About 40 percent of those in labor camps in Henan are there for underground church activities. • The PSB maintains a watch on the homes of the leaders. Many of their families have moved to remote areas to escape surveillance. (This situation was experienced by at least three Christian pastors we spoke to.) • In Luoyang, Henan, 300 Christians have been arrested since July 1996. • "Very often" the families that provide hospitality (food and accommodations to pastors, evangelists, and traveling members) are now targeted. Their houses are raided and their possessions confiscated. In Hebei one such network was raided in March and their three homes were destroyed. • Four years ago guards in re-education camps treated Christians comparatively well. Recently that has changed and there is a trend toward increased beatings. • On September 24, 1996, in Tanghe, Henan, a PSB raid arrested Edler Fend, Brother Zheng, Brother Xin, Sister Li, and Sister Luo. Brothers Zheng and Xin and Elder Feng were already respected leaders and had been previously imprisoned (the latter for seven years). They were beaten and tortured in order to get them to reveal the names of other leaders so that the organizations would be destroyed. During interrogation, Sister Luo (who was recently released from prison) sought to take responsibility for the gathering so that she could protect the others. According to a note passed out of the prison, the authorities bound her arms behind her in an agonizing position, and she was beaten so badly that she was in a coma for several hours. She was often left tied in that position, as were others. One of the men was beaten "for nine days and nights" and almost died. Members of the group were also poked with electric cattle prods, often while bound. Since Elder Fend is 72, he cannot perform hard labor but remains in custody indefinitely without a sentence. The others have been sentenced to three years laojiao in Luoyang. • One reported that the PSB said to him, "We are told that if a murderer and a pastor escape that it is more important to catch the pastor." • On March 16, 1997, eight underground Christian leaders were jailed in Zhengzhou. Of these eight, two key leaders were sent somewhere else at 10 p.m. on May 20. Other reports indicate that this included one of the major underground leaders, Peter Xu (Xu Yong Ze). • In October 1996, twelve pastors were jailed in Hubei. They were not sentenced to camps immediately but fined 70 or 80 thousand yen. Since they could not pay the fine they are sent to the laojiao. • In Zhoukou, Henan, 65 underground Christians were arrested on May 14, 1997. An accompanying raid resulted in the arrest of 20 other Christians. Since all 85 underground Protestants had been previously arrested at least two other times, their fellow congregates anticipate that their sentences will be three years of "re-education through labor." • In Spring 1996 in Langzhong, Sichuan, the PSB tried to round up several preachers. One of them was shot at while he tried to run away and a bullet went through both of his legs. Due to poor treatment, his wounds will not heal, and so he is too sick for a trial. He remains in custody. • Other forms of torture widely used by police against Christians entail forcing underground Christians to kneel while police stomp on their heels. One detained underground church member in Shanxi was beaten with an instrument that pulled out flesh. He was also bound and tormented with an electric drill. In December 1996, in Langfang, Hebei, several underground Christians were caught at the train station carrying imported Bibles. They suffered crippling beatings at the hands of the Public Security Bureau, and they remain unable to walk without assistance.

4. Fines There is a system of fines for church members who are first and second time offenders. The amounts levied vary from region to region. In some areas the fine can be 1500 yen for lay people and 2000 yen for a preacher. (This is several months' wages.)

In Sichuan the police have been arresting and fining Christians once or twice a year as a form of extortion. If the family can't pay, the police will beat the jailed person. Often they will do this in the presence of the family. The person will be hung up and beaten in front of the family until the family will do anything to get the money to pay. One man was very poor and could not pay the fine (500 yen). He was beaten and his grandmother hanged herself since she could not help him.

In Yunan there is a sliding scale of fines for being in an illegal meeting. For children it is 50 yen, for people who have been in the church six months it is 300 yen and for one year it is 600 yen. Sometimes the government has given loans to pay the fines but then church members are in its debt and under its control. Police have raided houses and confiscated goods including cows, chickens, and other food items to pay for the fine.

5. Relations with Patriotic Churches We received reports that some underground churches have registered with the government, but nobody seems to know how many. The underground members say that these churches have registered to escape persecution.

The underground Christian leaders gave the following reasons for refusing to register:

• The government intervenes in the affairs of the registered churches. • One cannot preach outside of one's region. • One cannot preach the whole bible. • People under 18 are restricted in receiving the faith. • Preachers cannot speak about the second coming of Christ. • Preachers must be licensed, or else they are illegal. Licensing depends on the permission of the government's Religious Affairs Bureau.

Beyond these particular reasons, they all reiterated their basic belief that the church should not be under the direction of the government.

In general the underground members are suspicious of the official churches. While they allow that there are some good people in the official churches, their overall stance is negative. They reported that Patriotic pastors have testified at and attended trials of underground members, and have even been present during police interrogations of underground Christians. In October 1995 one underground pastor in Henan was reported by a Patriotic pastor and jailed. About the same time a Patriotic pastor came to an underground church with a video camera, when congregates ran away he yelled "thief" so that the fleeing people would be identified by the townspeople. We also experienced some negative attitudes to the underground church from Patriotic pastors.

In our experience on this trip, the boundary between several official and underground churches is not clear. They grade into each other. One official church was in practice underground in that its major activities are hidden from the government. Others have their own "house groups" which are similar to unregistered meeting places. Others are in close contact with underground groups.

Most of the official churches are growing rapidly, and most of the ones we visited were full of vibrant faith. They are genuine churches, hence it is important to distinguish the role of high church officials from that of ordinary members and local pastors, as well as to recognize regional variations.

6. Bibles While there have been several million bibles printed in China, and they continue to be printed, and while Western organizations do valuable work in distributing these bibles, there are still major shortages of bibles in China. There are not enough to meet the needs of the underground church. In rural areas they are often not available, and even if they are available, rural members cannot afford them. If rural underground members do buy one they may call attention to themselves, since they are not in the official church. The underground members we spoke to said that bringing in bibles from overseas is important, "We depend on them," "Please supply us with more."

7. Church Growth All of the churches we visited, both registered and unregistered (and all the reports we received) show that the churches are growing rapidly. Most groups report that they are three or four times larger than in 1990 and more than ten times larger than in 1980. In one village the registered church included 6000 people, out of a local population of 20,000. Underground leaders from Henan said that out of one million people in their area, 200,000 were Christians. In Daquingshi, Heilongjiang, in 1989 there were 10 Christians, now there are 1400. Pastor Lamb's church is booming. Most churches have several services to accommodate the crowds and most members are young. In the registered churches we visited about half the people were under 25. In Pastor Lamb's church 95 percent were under 25 years of age. Over half the underground Christians we interviewed were under 35 years old.

8. Additional Notes We confirmed that Xu Yong Ze (Peter Xu) is one of the eight Christian leaders arrested on March 16, 1997. We met with people who work with Xu, but they did not mention any execution order against him as has been rumored outside of China-an omission that would be surprising if there was one. However, they did say that two of the eight had been moved on May 20.