China’s Rights Record Not Improving In Wake Of Olympics

Recently China Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi gave a spirited defense of his country’s right to host the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing starting August 8.

He said: “People in China enjoy extensive freedom of speech. No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics.”

China pledged to improve its poor human rights record – including religious freedom – leading up to the Games.

As a result, the Chinese government has been carefully crafting an image of religious tolerance. Of course, the communist government doesn’t want to lose face as the eyes of the global community are focused on China and the treatment of its people this year.

But the facts show that instead of expanding religious rights, China has cracked down on minority groups, especially Christians who worship in house churches which are not sanctioned by the government.

Human rights experts and lawmakers told the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China on February 27 that conditions may actually be getting worse with the detention of Chinese activists who have sought to link human rights to the Beijing Olympics.

“We have continued to document not only chronic human rights abuses inside China - such as restrictions on speech, assembly and political participation - but also abuses that are taking place specifically as a result of China's hosting the 2008 Summer Games," Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch told the panel.

According to the China Aid Association (CAA), 21 prominent Christian leaders were recently sentenced to re-education through hard labor in what CAA described as the largest mass sentencing of house church leaders in China in 25 years. The believers were detained during a mass arrest of 270 Christian leaders on Dec. 7, 2007 as they gathered for leadership training, according to CAA. The 21 were labeled as members of an “evil cult,” a term which Chinese authorities arbitrarily apply to unregistered religious groups.

Xiao Yun, the Open Doors International Director for China, says: “We have noticed in our work that the Chinese authorities are very nervous. They are afraid that society will become unstable and therefore they want to have a hold on all aspects of society. The house churches are one of the focuses of attention. In the Olympic towns in particular surveillance has considerably increased. The house churches have been told that they are to stop. The house church movement is a thorn in the flesh of the Chinese government. Abroad much is being written and said about the Chinese house churches. The government sees this as a loss of face. This is why attention is being focused on 'illegal' gatherings.”

An unprecedented number of foreign Christians, living in China as missionaries, were expelled from China in 2007. Sources inside the Chinese government reported the launch of this massive expulsion campaign. This campaign, encoded Typhoon No. 5, is believed to be part of the "anti-infiltration" efforts to prevent foreign Christians from engaging in mission activities before the Beijing Olympics.

Also, CAA reported a significant increase in harassment, arrests and detentions in 2007 compared with 2006. In Open Doors’ annual World Watch List, released in February, China climbed from the No. 12 position to No. 10 on the list of 50 countries that are most hostile to Christians.

The U.S. State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report, released in September 2007, stated that China’s “respect for freedom of religion remained poor, especially for religious groups and spiritual movements that are not registered with the government.”

President Bush has stated he will raise concerns over human rights abuses in China with President Hu Jintao when he attends the Olympics.

China is a large country with many contradictions. There are Christians who are restricted in their freedom to worship, but there are also areas where the situation is not as tight. According to our director, there is a saying in China, “The mountain is high and the king is far away.” In other words, local authorities can do what they want; the central government does not have a firm grip on the reins.”

What will happen after the Olympic Games?

Open Doors’ China director expects that the pressure on the church will be reduced and China will continue to modernize. “There are no signs which indicate that we can expect any more changes in the area of freedom of religion. China is becoming increasingly open, but this applies mainly to secular China. Despite the persecution, the Chinese Church is and remains very positive. The Christians are continuing to tell their fellow-citizens about God and the Bible.”

Praise God for the estimated 60 to 80 million Christians in China. Pray that they will grow spiritually in the Word as they bring the Gospel in and outside of their country.

_______________________________________________

Dr. Carl Moeller is president/CEO of Open Doors USA