HONG KONG, May 30, 01 (CWNews.com) - Communist China has arrested 35 Christians for "illegal religious activity" and sentenced 15 to labor camps, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy on Wednesday.
The Protestant Christians were arrested by police on Saturday who raided an underground "house church" meeting in Dongsheng, a city in Inner Mongolia. Those sent to labor camps include a woman named Wang Yulan, whose offense was considered "more serious" than others, the Information Center said. The center said her husband was sent to a labor camp last year, and her absence will leave no one to look after their 12-year-old son.
The Communist Chinese government requires Christians to worship only in state-controlled associations including the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which eschews any connections to the Vatican or the Pope. Many Catholics worship in churches that, while openly loyal to the government association, secretly pledge allegiance to the Pope.
Twenty of the Christians were released after they paid a fine of 200 yuan (US$24.15) each.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
30. mai 2001