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Source: www.ChinaAid.org Date: September 27, 2007 New Restriction Imposed by Beijing PSB against Unregistered Religious Activities; CAA Urges Chinese Government to Release Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng and his family members; Two House Church Leaders Detained in Xinjiang Midland, Texas-September. 26, 2007
CAA learned that as a new measure against unregistered religious activities especially house churches, Beijing public security authority issued a public notice recently to forbid all the owners of rental housing properties to deny rights for the house church members to rent for worship service. Meanwhile, two more house church leaders were detained in Xinjiang on September 2. According to report by the official Beijing Evening News (http://www.sina.com.cn), on September 5, Population Management Office of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a public notice that in order to raise the landlords’ awareness of doing their duties for the public security, the police are asked to “organize the staff in the entire bureau and all the local police stations in an intensive inspection on the ‘No rental to five types of prospective tenants.†The police warn all the owners of rental housing properties that they should on their own initiative refuse to rent their properties to "five types of prospective tenants,†including people who are accused of engaging in the so-called “illegal religious activitiesâ€. According to numerous reports received from CAA, many house churches in Beijing were pressured to stop gathering or to leave Beijing . “This is clearly a new tactic to persecute house churches before 2008 Beijing Olympics is held,†one Beijing house church leader told CAA. Several legal scholars and lawyers had written articles recently stating that this practice is neither legal nor reasonable. In another development in Beijing , CAA learned the prominent human rights lawyer in Beijing Mr. Gao Zhisheng and his family members were reportedly arrested again after he sent an open letter to the US Congress and Senate on September 23. Earlier this year after being detained and even severely tortured for a number of months, Mr. Gao was sentenced to three years with five years probation because of his human rights defense work. CAA learned the Chinese government also refused to issue passports for Mr. Gao’s wife Geng He and their two children after CAA President Rev. Bob Fu sent an invitation letter for them to come to the US to have a summer retreat this year. CAA urges the international community to continue to press the Chinese government to free Mr. Gao and his family. CAA has learned that Sister Guo and Sister Li, two house church members in Huocheng County , Yili Prefecture , Xinjiang were arrested and are being detained indefinitely at Huocheng County Detention Center . Guo and Li were arrested on September 2, 2007 when they went to have a gathering with a brother who was recuperating from a broken leg at home located at Team 3, Brigade 9, Lucaogou in Huocheng County , Yili Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The police arrested them on the ground that their gathering at a private residence was illegal. On the second day, the police went to search the house. On both occasions, the police didn’t show any arrest or search warrants. Fellow Christians trying to visit the detained sisters in the detention center on September 11 were turned away. China Aid thinks Guo and Li’s house gathering is protected by the international law, the Chinese Constitution and “Document No. 19†of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and China Aid urges the Chinese authorities to handle Guo and Li’s case in a fair and just way according to the Chinese law. China Aid also urges Christians and all people concerned about this case to send short messages to the people at Huocheng County Public Security Bureau to our concerns and love for our detained sisters. Cell Phone numbers in Hucheng PSB office： Director of Police：Mr. Wang Keqiang +86- 13909999156 Director of Domestic Security Protection：Mr. Di Li Xia Ti +86-13519980871 Deputy Director of Domestic Security Protection：Mr. Li Gang +86-13899703878 Director of Detention Center：Mr. Jiao Feng +86-13909991370 Deputy Director of Detention Center：Mr. Sun Baoliang+86-13031375159 Ms. Wu Aiying, minister of Ministry of Justice of PRC
Tel:+86-10-65205114
Fax:+86-10-64729863
Address：No. 10, Nan Da Jie, Chaoyangmen, Beijing City (Zip Code: 100020)
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