Contact: Annee Kahler, Media Coordinator, 267-210-8278, Annee@ChinaAid.org; Jenny McCloy, Directory of Advocacy (Washington, DC), 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, ChinaAid released its Annual 2009 Persecution Report, covering Christian persecution, specifically of House Churches, in China. Results indicate a 19% overall increase in persecution in comparison with the data from 2008. This marks a total increase in persecution levels of 120% within the last two years. The report summarizes the data collected by ChinaAid and offers both theoretical and diagram models to illustrate Christian persecution trends.
Click here to read the full "Annual Report by the Government on Christian House Churches within Mainland China, January 2009 - December 2009."
The Introduction to International and Chinese contexts outlines the influences of economics, politics, and social changes that shape and influence the persecution trends. The Review and Summary and List of Persecution Case Charts describe the 77 cases reported by ChinaAid last year. They reveal five trends of persecution, including the targeting of House Church Leaders and the House Church Movement in urban areas, and the new efforts to force churches to stop gathering for worship, severely punish Christians with long-term imprisonment and heavy fines, and enact tighter control of the Three-Self Church. The Charts provide basic details of the cases, including the number of people involved, name of church and location, and a description of the case. Links to detailed reports are provided for additional information.
The report notes the recent historical transition of Chinese society from the feudal-model to a citizenship model as influence on the success of the House Church Movement, and a new tri-colored market model is introduced to understand church persecution trends in China. Churches and religious groups are categorized as being in the red market (officially and legitimately approved by the Chinese Communist government), the black market (officially banned or illegal), and the gray market (ambiguous legal status). The Epilogue expounds upon the application of the model as it relates to the data collected and summarized in the preceding sections.
ChinaAid thanks our contributors and sources for their willingness to expose the truth about persecution in China. We pray for the persecuted daily, and continue to call on the Chinese government to cease their repressive actions, and guarantee the religious freedom of its people.
ChinaAid grants permission to reproduce photos and/or information for non-fundraising purposes, with the provision that www.ChinaAid.org is credited. Please contact: Annee@ChinaAid.org for further information.
