Contact: Bob Fu, China Aid Association, Inc., 267-205-5210, [email protected],  www.ChinaAid.org

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- China Aid Association learned from May 27th to 28th 2006, thirty House Church leaders from Langzhong City, Sichuan Province were arrested and forced to pay fines, fourteen received criminal detention after they were brutally abused.

Eyewitnesses and family members of the victims reported to CAA that the raid and arrests happened from 11 AM on May 27th until 9 AM on 28th as this group was attending a church coworker’s fellowship meeting. After the meeting, fifteen members of the Public Security Bureau in 6 police vehicles raided the meeting. Some of the arrested were released on the 28th. The morning of the 29th, fourteen received criminal detention notices. They are Pastors LI Ming, WANG Yuan, LI Jinbo, LI Chengxi, SHI Zhihe, GOU Yongcai, JIN Jiyun, Sister WANG Shuhua, GOU Qingju, KE Xiufang, SUN Changfen, HU Yongju, ZHANG Shulan and LIAO Zhoulan.

Among the fourteen, Pastors LI Ming, WANG Yuan, LI Jinbo and JIN Jiyun are major leaders of the Chinese House Church Alliance. The Chinese House Church Alliance was established in 2004 and is made up of approximately three hundred thousand members from various house church movements scattered across twenty-one provinces.

Eyewitnesses said that during both the arrests and interrogations, the Christians were abused inhumanely by constant heavy beatings. Pastor LI Ming, who is one of the seven top national leaders of the House Church Alliance, was observed to have been beaten and kicked by 6 policemen about his head and abdomen during his arrest.

CAA also learned that in recent weeks a number of house churches from Beijing, Shangdong and Guangdong were forced to close by the local authorities.

“These illegal arrests and detentions are a very disturbing indication of the deteriorating condition of religious freedom in China,” said Bob Fu of CAA. “We call upon the international community to demand that the Chinese government honor their international obligations to respect and protect the religious freedoms of the Chinese citizens.” CAA called for the immediate release of these innocent Christian leaders. Letters of protest and concern can be sent to the Chinese Embassy.

Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong,

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008

TEL: 202-7456743                 

Fax:202- 588-0032 ; 202-7457473

Director of Religious Affairs: (202) 328-2512

Issued by China Aid Association, Inc. on June 29,  2006

30多位家庭教会领袖四川被抓捕; 14位遭毒打后被刑事拘留

德州美德兰（对华援助协会2006年6月29日

  对华援助协会 获悉,  2006年6月27日上午11时到6月28日上午9时，四川省阆中市30多位家庭教会一些主要同工和信徒在路旁、在家中，被公安人员无缘无故抓走，在抓走的同时对这些基督徒实行了暴力毒打。 

     到6月28日上午9时，有14位主要负责人被扣押在公安局，他们分别是：李明、王远、李金波、李成喜、史志和、苟永才、金纪运  、王淑华、苟青菊，柯秀芳，孙长芬，胡永菊，张述兰，廖周兰，对他们以刑事案件拘留。

    其他一些信徒已被释放，勒令他们交500元罚款。

现被关押的，李明  王远，李金波，金纪运，属于中国家庭教会 联合会的主要同工，其中李明为联合会七位负责执事之一。

据悉, 6月27日阆中市宝马镇4村全阆中市正在召开家庭教会交通会,上午十点左右村干部来叫他们赶快结束聚会称有镇上的人到了他们村,饭后在约十一点后就结束了聚会,在回家的路上一部份人遇到了来逼迫教会的警察,开了两辆小车,一辆警车,一辆面包车和几辆摩托车.人数大约有15人左右,身着便装,在路上对刚好走到那的弟兄姐妹进行了抓捕有七人被抓,另有一位老弟兄(教会负责人)被扭打致脚背负伤脚腕发红肿,在场的众人纷纷指责后才被放回家看病.另有几人走到宝马政府时被抓捕.下午时,教会同工商议决定去向政府阐明信仰,并要求释放被抓的人,(受伤弟兄的家人有问政府打人的原因)

一开始政府的人并未出面也没有给予任何答复,只是将去到那的弟兄姐妹安排到一间屋里.直到洪山,阆中市几地的警察到后,就有人问谁是李明(教会主要负责人)当李明站起来时,便有五六人用拳头打头部和膀臂.边打边推上车.有出声阻止的弟兄也施以拳打脚踢(包括上午被扭打负伤的老弟兄及他的儿子)(在这期间有公安说该打就打的话)打完后就被推上车,姐妹有出声阻止的就直接推上车.后发现了正在进行摄影的王远弟兄(教会的主要同工),就有几个人迎向他掐他并推向坝子后就踢扭他的腿并打他的肚子.直至被打的直不起身躺在地时才将他丢上车.打完王远后就收队回阆中市治安队进行提审.在治安队时又听到弟兄的惨叫声.审问后对一部份人进行了拘留有15天(1个)10天(2个)及5天(4个)的.4个主要同工现在被关在一看守所,不能见面也不知道身体壮况如何.另有4人被罚款500元只有一个人交了罚款并没有开收据.另3人没有交.

另外, 16日晚四川阆中市白塔教会聚会时, 七里派出所的公安约有七人到教会抓走聚会信徒12人. 当时一人正在讲圣经,公安并未出示任何证件. 当晚对10人进行了审问后释放. 后对讲圣经的人拘留10天,另一人释放,将身上的驾驶证及钱财搜出,拘留结束后要求还回证件时却将钱扣掉100元.另一人释放但被要求交罚款500元.后来并没有给交.却将从身上搜出的90多元钱扣掉50元.

据悉，近期在北京,广州和山东也有多处家庭教会被地方当局以”非法聚会”为名威胁关闭.

对华援助协会对抓捕无辜教会领袖的做法表示强烈谴责，并且呼吁国际社会向中国当局表达关注,要求中国有关方面将这些基督教会领袖无条件释放并归还被非法没收的教会财产。

前北京市委党校讲师, 中国家庭教会牧师, 威斯敏德神学院哲学博士候选人): 傅希秋

     2006年6月29日 于美国德州美德兰市