Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: CHN30919 Country: China Date: 24 November 2006 Keywords: China – Henan – Family Church – House Churches – Treatment by authorities 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. Can you provide any specific information on the Family Church. 2. Can you provide info on harm suffered by this group by authorities? RESPONSE 1. Can you provide any specific information on the Family Church. No information was found among the sources consulted on a group with the formal name “Family Church” which fitted the description given by the applicant. The reports below relate to unregistered protestant or “house” churches in Henan province. The reports indicate that the province has a relatively high number of Christians: between 5 and 15 million, according to different sources, out a population of over 90 million. There are reportedly thousands of unregistered churches in the province. A 2003 survey of Christianity in different provinces by Tony Lambert states: HENAN Population: 92.6 million Capital: Zhengzhou (6.3 million) Henan straddles the Yellow River in China’s ancient heartland. It has seen explosive church growth since the early seventies and is the main center of the unregistered house-church movement. Even TSPM [Three Self Patriotic Movement – the official Protestant church] estimates put the number of believers as high as 5 million. Some house-church leaders estimate about 10 million believers, although this is not confirmed. Certainly, some villages are over 50% Christian. In 2001 there were 1,100 registered churches and 5,000 registered meeting-points as well as thousands of unregistered meetings. However, there are only about 100 registered TSPM pastors, aided by 394 elders and some 3,000 registered evangelists. The Born Again Movement, Fangcheng Church, and other large house-church networks all originated in Henan where the revival began in the seventies. Dengzhou City has seen growth from 2,000 believers in 1949 to 30,000 in 1984 and 50,000 by 1999. Some reports put the Christian population of Fangcheng as high as 31% (300,000 out of 970,000). By the early 1980s, house churches were sending out evangelists to other provinces. The revival among the house churches has seen vigorous itinerant evangelism. However, in recent years Henan has also seen the growth of extremism and various cults which have split existing churches. Most of the believers are peasants with lower levels of education. PRESSURE ON HOUSE CHURCHES IN HENAN (Reports from the Hong Kong South China Morning Post and Ming Pao Daily both of 21 January 2003) Henan police have launched a crackdown on the underground “Total Scope Church” over the past two months and reportedly arrested several leaders. The China Police Daily reported that meetings of church followers in Chuandong, Qiliping and Xiaguang towns were raided and 176 followers “dealt with” on 27 December and again on 6 January. Most were aged 15 to 45 years old. This church, founded by Peter Xu Yongze, has been branded an “evil cult” by authorities. It has set up an extensive network of unregistered churches in Henan, which are often subject to raids. Police confiscated 295 “heretical” books including copies of the mainstream evangelical magazine Christian Life Quarterly published by Chinese Christians in the United States. Police accused the group of being a “doomsday cult” which had disturbed social order. Members have long denied the allegations (Lambert, Tony 2003, ‘Survey of the Chinese Church – Part II’, Global Chinese Ministries Newsletter, April http://www.us.omf.org/content.asp?id=22860 – Accessed 15 September 2005 – Attachment 1). A 2004 DFAT report states: A.1. Henan has a high prevalence of underground Christian church groups (which in formal terms China views as illegal). There are also more reports of the authorities in Henan taking action against such underground groups (compared to other provinces in China). This may be partly because local authorities in Henan take a more hard-line attitude towards these groups and partly because there are more of these groups than in some other provinces… (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2006, China: Failed asylum seeker return decision, 7 August – Attachment 2). A 2000 Compass Direct report states: Henan is a central province of 91 million people, and estimates of the Christian population there vary from five to 15 million. According to Samuel Lamb, a house church pastor in Guangzhou (Canton), “At any one time, there are hundreds of Christians held in jail all over Henan for evangelizing without permits” (‘Chinese evangelist suffering as authorities decide his fate’ 2000, Compass Direct News Service, 18 April, Christian Persecution Page – Attachment 3). 2. Can you provide info on harm suffered by this group by authorities? The reports below relate to the treatment of unregistered Protestant or “house” churches in Henan province. The reports indicate that Henan is considered be a province which takes a hard line against unregistered Christian groups compared to some other provinces. In 2005- 2006, Henan topped a province-by-province list of reported crackdowns on unregistered churches. As already noted, a 2004 DFAT report states that there are “more reports of the authorities in Henan taking action against such underground groups (compared to other provinces in China). This may be partly because local authorities in Henan take a more hard-line attitude towards these groups and partly because there are more of these groups than in some other provinces”. However, the report also indicates that this would not necessarily mean a former member of such a church would suffer ill treatment on his return to China: In occasional cases where an underground church leader has come to the attention of the Chinese authorities, on return to China the authorities might take the person in for questioning. In rare cases the person might face further consequences (for example administrative or criminal detention), depending on the circumstances of the case. For example, a prominent leader of an underground church group which was known for proselytising might be more likely to face more serious consequences than an ordinary member of an underground church group.… (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2006, China: Failed asylum seeker return decision, 7 August – Attachment 2). A Chinese Christian human rights group has recently reported that Henan tops the lists of Chinese provinces for its adverse treatment of Christians. Chinese Christian human rights group released a report on Sunday listing the main persecution in different provinces in China during a 12-month period and concluding that Henan Province is the worst persecution offender. China Aid Association listed persecution events from May 2005-May 2006 showing that at least 1,958 Chinese house church pastors and Christians in 15 provinces were arrested. According to the report, in Henan province, 823 pastors and believers were arrested in 11 raids from July 2005 to May 2006. “Henan province should be put on notice having the worst religious persecution record,” said the Rev. Bob Fu, president of CAA. “It is morally imperative for any conscientious foreign investors in Henan to address this serious issue.” (Vu, Michelle 2006, ‘China: China Persecution report names Henan Province as worst offender’, Christian Post Reporter, 26 June – Attachment 4). A 2006 Compass Direct report contains the data on which the above report is based, stating that Henan had the most documented incidents of persecution against Christians during 2005- 2006 (‘China: Chinese authorities raid house churches, arrest 80’ 2006, Compass Direct, 28 July – Attachment 5). A recent report from China Aid online is of significance. It states that a Chinese house church Christian, who had been arrested for holding an “illegal gathering” and sentenced to re-education through labour, had his sentence revoked when he filed a lawsuit with the Hualong District People’s Court in Henan. This was the first time a house Christian had won such a verdict (‘China: Henan Court revokes the re-education through labor decision- First time a Chinese House Church Christian has won such a lawsuit’ 2006, China Aid online website, 25 September – Attachment 6). A 2004 report from the China Aid Association is typical of Christian news reports about Christians in Henan over the past few years [more such reports can be sent if the Member wishes]. It states that “more than 100 house church leaders have been arrested in Tongxu County, Kaifeng City, Henan province”. They were “just starting their first day meeting for a two-week retreat when they were surrounded by more than 200 military police, Public Security Bureau (PSB) and other officers…(‘More than 100 house church leaders arrested in Henan’ 2004, China Aid Association, 7 August – Attachment 7). The September 2006 US Department of State report on religious freedom in China contains several references to Henan: • “…some local officials in Henan Province often mistreated unregistered Protestants”. • “ The Government detained some citizens for providing religious information to foreigners and prevented some religious figures from traveling abroad, including Henan Province Christian pastor Zhang Rongliang, who remained jailed”. • “Henan Province house Christian pastor Zhang Rongliang was convicted in June 2006 of obtaining a passport through fraud and illegal border crossing. He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison”. • “In May several house church activists were detained in Henan Province’s Fugou County. At least three remained detained at the end of the period covered by this report” (US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2006: China, 15 September – Attachment 8).