Country Advice China China – CHN36220 – Shandong Province – Christians – Unregistered churches –– Spies – State protection – Internal relocation 24 February 2010 1. Please advise whether Chinese authorities recruit church members to spy on unregistered churches, particularly in Shandong Province? There is evidence to support that Chinese authorities do use spies to infiltrate unregistered churches. However, there is limited information on the actual recruitment process and whether the spies are recruited under duress. The most relevant information pertaining to church believers being recruited as spies under duress is from a 2007 media article published by Asia News. This article reports that the state- sanctioned Patriotic Association (PA) in Xiwanzi, Hebei province1 launched a campaign against underground Christians and threatened believers who refused to act as spies with either arrest or being left with no livelihood. The media article states that: Prompted by the local authorities, the police are on a manhunt, with door-to-door searches for underground priests to make them inscribe to the PA. Believers who refuse to collaborate and to act as spies are arrested or left without work. Those with shops are forced to shut down.2 This was the only reported source found relating to authorities threatening Christians if they did not act as spies. The reports below provide examples of authorities being tipped off by spies who have infiltrated unregistered churches in Shandong province. However, they do not mention the recruitment process of the spies or whether the spies are acting under duress: According to the China Aid Association website, an underground house church in Yantai was raided in September 2008 by officials from the Yantai Municipal Bureau of Religion, Zhifu District Bureau of Religion, Public Security Bureau and the Bureau of Security. The officers forced members of the house church to register their names and leave the meeting site. Authorities also confiscated the property of the Christians, including the collection box, a large cross, Bibles and copies of hymns. Of particular interest, officials told the church members they had been tipped off that training was being conducted by people from outside the area.3 Another 2008 press release on the China Aid website states that: PSB officials continue to persecute the churches throughout Jiaxiang County and have detained house church members according a House Church member list. How the 1 Researcher’s Note: Hebei province borders Shangdong province. 2 ‘Hunt for priests in Xiwanzi diocese’ 2007, Asia News http://www.asianews.it/view4print.php?l=en&art=8501 – Accessed 18 February 2010 - Attachment 1. 3‘Shandong Church Member Account of Persecution’2008, China Aid website, 28 September http://www.chinaaid.org/qry/page.taf?id=105&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=341&_nc=6a020e128632f87cd231d8c9e7ecb a38 - Accessed 18 February 2010 - Attachment 2. officials obtained such a list remains a mystery, though sources speculate the PSB has been working with spies within the Jiaxiang house churches to help relay information.4 The 2008 incident was also reported by the Mission Network News which stated that the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in Jiaxiang used spies to provide lists of members’ names to authorities. Whilst it is unknown whether the members were coerced into providing the lists, the report states “PSB officers have been using a list of house church members to detain Christians in Jiaxiang County, Shandong province. Sources speculate that they obtained the list through spies planted in Jiaxiang house churches.”5 2. Can members refuse, and be protected by the state? It cannot be ascertained whether state protection would be provided to a church member if they were to refuse an official request (presumably from the police) to spy on an underground church. Due to the fact that these churches are unregistered, it is unlikely that such people would be protected by the state. No information could be found concerning a person being protected by the state where they had refused an official request to spy on an illegal church. However, information was found on the role of state protection more generally. The most recent United States Department of State (USDOS) International Religious Freedom Report for China provides an overview of the Chinese government’s attitude towards religious practices and states that the law protects only religious practices overseen by state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations and does not permit unregistered places of worship: The Constitution and laws protect only “normal religious activities” that are overseen by the five (Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant) state-sanctioned “patriotic religious associations” (PRAs). Officials have wide latitude to interpret the phrase “normal religious activities.” By law only the PRAs may register religious groups and places of worship. The Government permits proselytism in registered places of worship and in private settings, but does not permit it in public, in unregistered places of worship, or by foreigners.6 This report further states that the ability of unregistered religious groups to operate was dependent upon their location in China. This indicates that it is left to the discretion of officials on how to deal with unregistered religious groups. The USDOS report states: The ability of unregistered religious groups to operate varied greatly depending on their location. Officials in some areas detained Protestant and Catholic believers who attended unregistered groups, while those in other areas did little to interfere with the worship or social service activities of such groups.7 Whilst information relating to state protection of people involved in unregistered religions in Shandong province is limited, the following reports demonstrate the different approaches taken by authorities in Shandong province: 4 ‘Wife of Pastor Zhang Zhongxin Files for Appeal of her husband's Two Year Labor Camp Sentence; PSB Officials Continue Persecution of House Churches Throughout Jiaxiang County’ 2008, China Aid website, 22 July http://www.chinaaid.org/qry/page.taf?id=105&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=998&_nc=ee5e33cdd4f2c7e809d 102bfa02602e6 - Accessed 18 February 2010 - Attachment 3. 5 ‘House church crackdown’ 2008, Mission Network News, 25 July http://www.mnnonline.org/article/11481 - Accessed 15 February 2010 – Attachment 4. 6 US Department of State 2009, International Religious Freedom Report for 2009 – China, 26 October, Introductory section - Attachment 5. 7 US Department of State 2009, International Religious Freedom Report for 2009 – China, 26 October, Introductory section - Attachment 5. The first example involves a pastor being sentenced to re-education through labour by the authorities in Jining City, Shandong. The 2009 USDOS International Religious Freedom report for China reported that the authorities described Pastor Zhang Zhongxin’s actions as a Sunday school teacher as an “evil religion”. The report states that: On July 4, 2008, Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced by the reeducation-through-labor [RTL] committee of Jining City, Shandong Province, to two years of RTL. Authorities accused him of participating in an “evil religion” for his role in organizing Sunday school training courses and for preaching in Tibet.8 The second example relates to a 2008 report published by the China Aid Association, indicating that a group of house church Christians in Zaozhuang City, Shandong province were arrested by Public Security Bureau officers. They were able to be released if they each paid 2,500 yuan9: On December 2, more than 50 house church Christians gathered for fellowship in Xiji town, Zaozhuang city, Shandong province. They were surrounded by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers. More than 20 Christian leaders were arrested. PSB officers claimed that as long as 2,500 yuan per person was paid, the Christians could be released immediately.10 3. Would relocation be possible to avoid being forcefully engaged in spying activities? Relocation would be possible within China. However, it is unknown whether relocation will free people from being forced to engage in spying activities. This is due to the fact that all Chinese citizens require a hukou, which is a system of household registration overseen by the hukou police. It is possible for people to be discovered by authorities, including the police, when they apply to update their hukou. It would then be at the authority’s discretion as to whether such people would be required to re-engage in spying activities. Dr Fei-Ling Wang, Professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology, provides an outline of the hukou system in China and states that the hukou police are under the supervision of Public Security Bureaus (PSB) and local Chinese Communist Party committees: Under the PRC hukou system, every citizen is legally required to register with the hukou authorities and to acquire a hukou certification. A police station (paichusuo) in the cities or a rural township (xiangzheng) constitutes a hukou management zone. Full time specialized hukou police are in charge of the system, under the supervision of public- security bureaus and local CCP committees. One citizen can have only one permanent hukou, at only one hukou zone, where he is a permanent resident. The unit of registration is the household.11 Professor Wang also explains the process required to relocate within China and highlights the 8 US Department
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