These People are Hosting the Olympics, 3

Remarkably, Damian Thomson has written something I agree with. It was posted a few days ago, about the persecution of Catholics in China. The human rights issue is more than just Tibet. The danger is that the momentum will die away after the torch procession, and everything will go back to normal.

Bishop John Han had spent years doing forced labour before being ordained priest in 1986 and bishop three years later. He was imprisoned on 11 separate occasions and spent about 35 years of his life in prison, labour camp or house arrest.
I wonder what he would have made of Sunday's events. I like to think he would have been cheering on the protestors.

Matt Wardman is also doing his bit to keep the fire stoked, including how to get your blog banned in China, and then how to get round the ban. Nothing like creating work for yourself...

These People are Hosting the Olympics: 2

A few weeks ago, Open Doors published its list of the 10 worst places to live as a Christian in 2008. Here it is

2008 World Watch List
1. North Korea
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Iran
4. Maldives
5. Bhutan
6. Yemen
7. Afghanistan
8. Laos
9. Uzbekistan
10. China.

The Open Doors USA site has a full article covering the offending countries, including this paragraph on China:

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. Sometimes the government crackdowns against Christians were motivated by preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008 and not by anti-Christian grounds. The government wants to make sure that there is no risk for any instability during 2008. The way they want to achieve this differs per area and situation. Sometimes unprecedented politeness is used, but there are also reports of house church raids and arrests.

And the raids and arrests, false imprisonments torture and beatings all continue.

News report here, HT ars gratia.

These People are Hosting the Olympics, Part 1

An open letter from the president of the Chinese House Church Alliance has revealed the relentless persecution he and his family have endured under the hands of the Chinese Government.

Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, who heads the Chinese House Church Alliance, issued the letter on Monday to the international community out of frustration over being driven from house to house by officials with no response from the central government or the judiciary system to his appeal for justice.

Zhang, who converted to Christianity in 1986, is used to persecution after having been stalked, arrested, beaten and imprisoned 12 times for his activities in the house church movement.

But the latest incidents have been more intense and frequent, forcing the house church leader to write two open letters to President Hu Jintao and a third open letter to the international community for help after receiving no response from the government.

As detailed in his letter, high-level Chinese officials visited an orphanage – which is supported by the house church alliance – last October after which authorities forced the foreigners teaching the children to leave, drove away the students, cut off the power supply to the building, and began to monitor Zhang’s movement more closely. The orphanage was forced to relocate after the energy company refused to return electricity to the building.

In a period of a little over a month, Zhang moved six times.

Full story here.