Chinese Christians face persecution

The Archbishop of Canterbury visited China last week and welcomed the new religious tolerance he thought he found in China.But Andrew Boyd shares the fears of many human rights groups that monitor China: Christians still suffer intimidation, and are still the objects of police persecution.
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS have criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, for allowing himself to become a pawn of the Chinese government's propaganda machine during his recent visit to the country.
Dr Carey declared himself "encouraged" by the easing of religious persecution in China and, while acknowledging the existence of some dark shadows, stated that
"religious toleration is a real
His words have been greeted with disbelief and dismay by human rights activists, who believe the "shadows" are altogether deeper and darker than Dr Carey was permitted to observe by his attentive Chinese hosts.
The Jubilee Campaign, which gave a prior briefing to the primate's office, has described Dr Carey's visit as a "wasted opportunity," and has accused him of "dodging the issue".
"The record of the Chinese authorities regarding its assault on the church has been clearly documented by credible and reliable sources", said its spokesman, Mr Danny Smith.
"We provided documentary evidence of the persecution of over 100 Christians by name."
Headlines like "Carey heartened by Church in China" will have given no comfort to persecuted believers and will have played straight into the hands of China's propagandists.
The number of believers in China is growing rapidly. Even official estimates acknowledge that Christians now exceed the number of Communist party members a fact that is worrying the authorities. Many of China's estimated 60 100 million believers find they cannot in all conscience become members of the official Communist-controlled Three-Self Church, which exists to regulate, rather than encourage, religious belief.
But under draconian new laws the millions who prefer to worship away from the eye of the Party now find them
selves labelled common criminals. Their peaceful worship meetings are likely to be broken up by members of the Public Security Bureau wielding electric cattle prods.
Amnesty International has condemned widespread brutality towards detainees: "Torture has become endemic in many places of detention. [Methods used are] beatings... assaults with electric batons... suspension by the arms and legs, being made to adopt physically painful or exhausting postures for long periods of time, deprivation of sleep or food, exposure to cold or heat and prolonged solitary confinement." These are the prospects now facing Christian believers in China.
Last January two decrees were issued by Chinese Premier Li Peng, cracking down on unregistered house churches and the activities of foreign missionaries.
Decree 144 imposed a nationwide ban on foreign missionary activity. Penalties included fines, imprisonment and confiscation. Decree 145 targeted the unregistered house churches.
Security forces now have legal sanction to prohibit virtually any religious practice, while Decree 144 provides corrupt officials with carte blanche to harrass, imprison and steal from believers.
The Washington bureau of the human rights charity Christian Solidarity International described the crackdown as "a licence for corrupt PSB officials to beat and rob Christians throughout China."
Sources from within China cite a Religious Affairs Bureau directive which allegedly calls on government officials to: "completely eliminate illegal house churches... if there is any resistance, the Public Security Bureau must destroy (them) and completely confiscate all religious materials."
Chinese Bishop Ding Geungxun has described "a wind of oppression" sweeping the churches.
He said operations to suppress religious activity were brutal and abnormal. "They mobilise cadres, Public Security Bureau Officials and People's Militia to use electric batons... confiscate Bibles ... imprison believers, fine them, cut off their electricity, water and social security grain supplies, demolish houses and other such activities."
There are reports from China that believers have been murdered. This from a church in Yunnan province: "[members have been] illegally locked up, interrogated and cruelly beaten... Cui Chaoshu was kidnapped from the meeting point and pounded to death with a thick stick."
But, like the disciples at Gethsemane, Dr Carey appears to have been unconscious to the suffering. The Archbishop went on to criticise religious groups who smuggled Bibles into China.
He said, "With 2.2 million Bibles published last year... why stir up mischief?"
But Christian Solidarity International while stressing that it is not itself involved in Bible smuggling points out an elementary problem of supply and demand: "There are an estimated 100 million Christians now in China. Two million Bibles between them just doesn't scratch the surface."
CSI was informed by a Christian in the Guangzhou province: "The believers keep calling for more Bibles. We haven't got enough and we cannot get them. '"Comments about Bibles being easily available are simply not true."
There is one simple question Dr Carey must answer. If faith is looked upon so favourably in China, then why do millions feel the need to risk everything by joining the underground Church?