Over 30 House Church Leaders Arrested in Sichuan Crackdown

Monday, Jun. 15, 2009 Posted: 8:25:09PM HKT

Chinese authorities swooped down on a gathering of house church leaders last week.

The Christian leaders were gathered in the house of one of the pastors in Lanzhou city, Sichuan province, when several dozen officials in some six or seven police vehicles from the local domestic security protection squad surrounded the site, arrested all of the Christians and searched the house.

After arresting more than 30 of them on Tuesday, the security officials imposed 15 days of administrative detention on 13 leaders and criminal detention on five others, reported ChinaAid.

In addition, the group noted that those who were placed under criminal detention are likely to face a formal criminal indictment or up to three years of reeducation through labour.

Pastor Li Ming, who is one of the leaders who received criminal detention and in whose house the leaders had gathered, was previously sentenced to three years of reeducation through labour in recent years because of his Christian faith.

Strongly denouncing the Langzhong authorities in Sichuan for their reprehensible conduct in violating both Chinese and international laws guaranteeing freedom of religion, ChinaAid has called on Christians worldwide to pray for the imprisoned believers and their families and urge the Chinese government to respect the religious freedom of the citizens and unconditionally release the 18 Christian leaders.

Communist authorities in China are generally wary of churches and Christian groups that are not a part of the state-sponsored Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

The difficulty and conflict arises when house church Christians are unwilling to become a part of the official church body apparently because this would require that the former relinquish their independence and come under the leadership of the TSPM movement.

As a result, the government conducts periodic crackdowns on house Christians.

A fairly recent meeting between government officials and house church leaders, however, may be a sign that the authorities are making efforts at reconciliation with unofficial Christians.

Edmond Chua
Christian Post Reporter