CHINA   

WHAT CSW IS DOING TO HELP CHINA

- In most cases of persecution in China, the only request is for prayer. Not food, not clothing, not necessarily even release! They desire prayer more than anything else. CSW is committed to bringing our brothers and sisters in China to the forefront through advocacy and awareness in all available published materials and our website.

- CSW will continue to conduct fact-finding missions to China to research and reveal claims of persecution, in addition to networking with other organizations whose focus is on serving the Asian underground church and specifically Christians in China. 

- Christians in China will continue to be mentioned in our prayer calendar. As we receive updates we will publish them on our website and/or in future issues of Outcry.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

You can PRAY

 - that the persecution in China, by citizens, cults and government, will stop

 - that the claims of religious freedom in China would be substantiated through just treatment of all churches, both registered and unregistered

 - for safety, comfort, food and hope for incarcerated Christians

 - for release for those in prison for their faith

 - for provision and encouragement for them and their families

 - for the church to flourish even under oppression

You can PROTEST

Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.  (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). Ask your Congressperson to raise your concerns with both the Congress and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and to additionally raise this in appropriate international forums.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov

***For help with letter-writing, please click here

You can PETITION

To the Chinese Government

China should implement a policy of genuine religious freedom. Towards this end it is recommended that China pursue the following reforms:

¨ Abolish the TSPM and the other official religious bodies.
¨ Allow all believers to practice their faith freely, choosing where and how they want to worship.
¨ Abolish registration as a system of control.
¨ Acknowledge House Church leaders as the representatives of the majority of Protestant Christians in China and provide them with the opportunity for dialogue.
¨ Remove political criteria for selection for seminary.
¨ Allow Christians to set up training bodies, including independent seminaries.
¨ Allow Bibles to be made freely available throughout the country, rather than only through the TSPM.
¨ Allow production, import and distribution of religious literature. Allow Christian bookstores to function.
¨ Abolish restrictions on who may preach and the places and area in which they may preach.
¨ Abolish control over teaching, doctrines and reference to the Bible.
¨ Abolish restrictions on working with children. (Current practice not only violates the international right to religious freedom, but also China's obligations under the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular Articles 2, 12, 14 and 17.)
¨ Remove restrictions on the freedom for specific categories of people, including Party members, to embrace a faith.
¨ Prohibit penalties against believers, including fines, torture and internment in labor education camp.
¨ Release all those held for their religious beliefs and activities.
¨ Train police and other officials on religious freedom and rights of believers.
¨ Ensure effective penalties against those who do abuse religious freedom and other rights of believers.
¨ Pending the abolition of the registration system, ensure the availability of independent registration to religious groups. To this end, educate Religious Affairs Bureaux to receive and grant such requests for registration without reference to the TSPM. 
¨ Allow contact with religious bodies outside China, allowing interchange and exchange of personnel and materials across borders. (As provided under Article 6(i) of the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.)
¨ Establish objective and consistent criteria for designating groups as dangerous. In addressing dangers posed by such groups, resort should be had only to standard criminal and civil law, addressing criminal activities under the provisions outlawing such genuinely harmful activities, rather than generally targeting all unregistered groups.
¨ Pass a nationwide law protecting religious freedom in accordance with international standards.

To Other Governments
It is recommended that governments with interaction with China: 
¨ Reassess their emphasis on the issue of religious freedom generally and Protestant Christianity specifically in their relations with China and accord the issues a higher prioritization in dialogue and contacts.
¨ Take on board the cry of the House Church for its voice to be heard and provide a vehicle through which their appeal can be expressed.
¨ Encourage the Chinese Government to implement the reforms articulated above.
¨ Encourage the Government to recognize that the House Church is mainstream orthodox Christian and that every effort should be made to avoid classification with the term 'cult'.
¨ Look for ways to impress upon the Chinese Government that Christianity has a positive impact on society and that the House Church is patriotic and needs to be allowed to practice their religion according to their conscience and Christian teaching.
¨ Look at practical ways of encouraging law reform and training, including supporting legal and police training programs.

Churches are recommended to:
¨ Clearly recognize that the TSPM is not the sole voice of the Church in China and that the majority of Christians in China are in the House Church. Also recognize that the TSPM, whilst having some genuine believers, can also be an agent of persecution against the true church in China, and is often used to carry out the government's directives to control Christianity.
¨ Encourage awareness of the situation of the House Church.
¨ Use its voice to stand in solidarity with those persecuted for their beliefs.
¨ Pray and encourage prayer for Christians in China. 
¨ Consider practical means of supporting the church in China, for example by providing Bibles and support for prisoners' families.

To view all of CSW's current petitions, please click here

WEB LINKS

www.epm.org - Eternal Perspective Ministries

www.asiaharvest.org - Asia Harvest

www.religiousfreedomforchina.org/English/index.htm - Religious Freedom for China

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=292 - Forum 18