Chinese House Church Closed by 300 Officials, 11 Christians Injured
By China Aid on February 14, 2020. Christian News.
(Lanxi,
Zhejiang—February 13, 2020) On December 1, 2019, hundreds of government and
public security personnel were dispatched to close a house church in Lanxi and
disperse the 30 Christians who were gathering. During the incident, 11 church
members were seriously injured and the church assets confiscated.
On the morning of the incident, Lanxi
officials sent more than 300 government personnel, led by uniformed public
security officers, to surround a local house church where 30 Christians were
gathering. Law enforcement officers forced their way into the private house to
clear the scene.
If any church attendees resisted or took
photos, the authorities would hit or kick them. Of the 11 injured Christians,
some sustained fractures while others had their hair pulled out of their heads
or were put in headlocks. Finally, church members who resisted the authorities
were arrested and released after intimidation. All of the church assets used
for services were also removed.
According to local Christians, government officials did not produce any law
enforcement documents and switched off their law enforcement recorders.
Instead, they only made the announcement, claiming at the scene that the
Christians had violated the new religious regulations and that they were banning
the relevant meeting places.
This was a rare incident in which the
police used heavy violence in order to close a house church. However, Zhejiang
Province, which also launched China’s cross cleansing campaign five (5) years
ago, has been at the forefront of the country in the crackdown on underground
house churches.
In October 2018, city officials of the United Front Department declared to the
leaders of a banned house church that Lanxi was the early pilot area for the
rectification of house churches in Zhejiang Province. To correct the house
churches, they “must be registered or banned.” Once the trial is
complete, the model will be promoted in the whole province.
This is all in accordance with China’s religious law, The New Regulations on
Religious Affairs, which came into effect in 2018. According to the new law,
“without the examination and approval of the Religious Affairs Department
of the People’s Government, or without registration with the Civil Affairs
Department of the People’s Government, no activities may be carried out in the
name of religious organizations.”