China – Fuqing – Nanchang – Local Church – State Security Bureau – Education Bureau – Jiangxi Normal University – Recovery Version Bible
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: CHN34041 Country: China Date: 20 November 2008 Keywords: China – Fuqing – Nanchang – Local Church – State Security Bureau – Education Bureau – Jiangxi Normal University – Recovery Version Bible This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services 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. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein. Questions 1. Please provide a map showing the location and distance of Nanchang City from Fuqing, as well as information on travel time between the two locations. 2. Please provide any information on the Local Church in Nanchang City, the State Security Bureau and the Education Bureau. 3. Please provide information on Jiangxi Normal University and its campuses. 4. Please provide basic information on the “Recovery Version Bible”: its appearance, general contents, and anything specific to it as opposed to other Bibles. 5. [deleted] RESPONSE 1. Please provide a map showing the location and distance of Nanchang City from Fuqing, as well as information on travel time between the two locations. The attached extract from a China map published by Collins shows that Nanchang City, Jiangxi province is approximately 500kms (in a direct line) north west of Fuqing, Fujian province. Fuqing is approximately 50kms to the south east of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian. Information on the China Travel Guide website indicates that the distance between Fuzhou and Nanchang by train is 617-618kms (‘China [Extract]’ 2003, Collins, Rev. Ed., London – Attachment 1; ‘Fuzhou to Nanchang Train Schedule’ (undated), China Travel Guide website http://www.chinatravelguide.com/ctgwiki/Special:CNTrainSearch?from=Fuzhou&to=Nanch ang&Submit1=submit – Accessed 12 November 2008 – Attachment 2). Sources indicate that train travel between Fuzhou and Nanchang takes around 10-12 hours, depending on the type of train (‘Fuzhou to Nanchang Train Schedule’ (undated), China Travel Guide website http://www.chinatravelguide.com/ctgwiki/Special:CNTrainSearch?from=Fuzhou&to=Nanch ang&Submit1=submit – Accessed 12 November 2008 – Attachment 2; ‘Fuzhou to Nanchang’ (undated), Travel China Guide website http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china- trains/display.asp?from1=fuzhou&tp=1&to1=nanchang&Submit32=SUBMIT – Accessed 12 November 2008 – Attachment 3; Harper, Damien et al. 2005, Lonely Planet: China, May, Lonely Planet Publications, Footscray, 9th ed., p.466 – Attachment 4).1 2. Please provide any information on the Local Church in Nanchang City; the State Security Bureau and the Education Bureau. Local Church) in Nanchang No information was found in the sources consulted on the Local Church in Nanchang. Attached are three RRT Research & Information Research Responses relating to Local Church members. Although the responses refer to Fujian province in particular, there is information applicable to China generally. • RRT Research & Information 2008, Research Response CHN33444, 4 July, quests.1- 2 – Attachment 5. • RRT Research & Information 2008, Research Response CHN33508, 3 July (updated 16 July 2008), quests.1-2 – Attachment 6. • RRT Research & Information 2008, Research Response CHN33816, 1 October, quest.1 – Attachment 7. State Security Bureau Sources indicate that the State Security Bureau operates under the Ministry of State Security and appears to be also referred to as the State Security Police or the secret police. The bureaus are established in the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China. It reportedly has the responsibility of preventing foreign espionage, sabotage and conspiracies. The use of religion may be considered a sabotage activity that could endanger state security. Scant information was found in the sources consulted on the State Security Bureau in Nanchang City, Jiangxi province. A March 2001 Daily Telegraph article reported that State Security Bureau officers, the secret police, ordered journalists to return to the provincial capital, Nanchang, when reporting the deaths of children killed in an explosion (Rennie, David 2001, ‘China cover-up on school blast’, Daily Telegraph, 9 March – Attachment 14). 1 Lonely Planet guidebooks strive to provide travellers everywhere with reliable, comprehensive and independent travel information. Lonely Planet authors are seasoned travellers who are also writers and researchers. Travellers can also submit information on a voluntary basis. The guidebooks provide general information on the country’s history, culture, environment, health and language. The guidebooks also provide information on cities and towns with reference to accommodation, transport and entertainment. Lonely Planet guidebooks provide useful maps of regions, cities and towns. Most Lonely Planet guidebooks are updated on a two-year cycle. Lonely Planet can be a useful research tool for general background information only such as the location of a place of worship in a town, the address of a post office, the contact details of a hospital, the time taken to travel from A to B etc. Care should be exercised when using Lonely Planet for any other reason. An Asia News article referred to the “State security police” and the “state security bureau” in the context of reporting on police surveillance. The Economist described the “State Security Bureau” as “secret police” (‘Police watchful ahead of June 4’ 2005, Asia News, 2 June http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=3424 – Accessed 6 June 2005 – Attachment 8; ‘News from the Forbidden Citius, Altius, Fortius’ 2008, The Economist, 7 August http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11900723 – Accessed 13 November 2008 – Attachment 9). A 1998 source cited by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board in 2004 referred to the State Security Police as follows: The State Security Police This type of police was established in 1983. It has the responsibility to safeguard the state security, to prevent foreign espionage, sabotage and conspiracies. The state security police are under the leadership of the Ministry of State Security, which is also one of the government organs, directly accountable to the State Council (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2004, CHN42317.E – China: Structure of the police force; whether witness protection programs exist, or other forms of police or state protection for individuals who fear members of organized crime groups (2000-2004), 26 January – Attachment 10). A 1997 journal article noted on the state security police: State security police In comparison with public security police, state security police, established in 1983, is a relatively new police force. In contrast to public security police’s wide range of responsibilities, state security police are responsible solely for the protection of state security. Their main function is to prevent foreign espionage, sabotage and conspiracies. State security police are under the leadership of the Ministry of State Security. At the provincial level, state security bureaus are established in all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. As circumstances require, state security bureaus are also established in selected municipalities directly under provincial governments. These municipalities usually are those located in coastal areas or those that have frequent contacts with foreign countries (Du and Zhang, 1990; Yuan and Sun, 1986)…(Ma, Yue 1997, ‘The Police Law 1995: organization, functions, powers and accountability of the Chinese police’, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Vol. 20, No. 1, p.117 – Attachment 11). The article continued: The task of protecting the state security used to be performed by public security police. With the implementation of economic reform and the increase in contacts with foreign countries, the government perceived an urgent need to strengthen further the work of state security. The state security police were thus created to perform this duty in particular (Ma, Yue 1997, ‘The Police Law 1995: organization, functions, powers and accountability of the Chinese police’, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Vol. 20, No. 1, p.134/note 7 – Attachment 11). In April 1997 Human Rights Watch reported that the State Security Bureau is the principal agency enforcing the State Security Law (Human Rights Watch 1997, China: Whose Security? “State Security” in China’s New Criminal Code, April, Vol. 9, No. 4, p.26 – Attachment 12). Human Rights Watch states: Like the State Secrets Law, the State Security Law states that all citizens of the China are “duty-bound to safeguard national security, honor and interests.” Individuals can be punished if they refuse to answer questions or provide evidence relating to the acts covered in the law. “Offices, institutions and other organizations” are also required to “educate” their staff about protecting state security and “should mobilize and organize personnel in preventing and checking acts of harming state security.” As well as enlisting citizens, the law gives the agencies responsible for enforcing its provisions – principally the