China Aid Association Press Release
10/31/06 (博讯 boxun.com)
Tel: (267) 205-5210 Fax: (432) 686-8355
Contact: Bob Fu (267) 205-5210
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Midland, Texas (CAA)-October 31, 2006
Church property in Gansu occupied by the government, 300 Christians protest by sitting demonstration; 3 Singapore Christians Arrested & Released in Xinjiang, 5 local believers still in detention
CAA learns that on October 16, 2006 300 Christians from a Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) church in Qinzhou district, Tianshui city, Gansu province sat silently at their original church property protesting the local government who is occupying it. They are requesting the return of this property to the church. The Christians did not succumb to the high pressure from the government. The demonstration has lasted for 15 days.
In 1966, during the Cultural Revolution, all the priests and pastors were kicked out of the church. The church property of 650 square meters was freely allocated to two nation-owned factories. After the Cultural Revolution, the church repeatedly requested the government return the property.
In 1984, the government unilaterally decided to remunerate the church 50,000 RMB for the property occupied without any real estate evaluation. Due to the huge gap between the church property worth several million RMB and the merely 50,000 RMB the government offered, the church refused to accept the decision, and continually appealed to the higher-level government and People’s Council. But the governments insist the decision not be changed.
Recently the local government sold the property to a developer for 17 million RMB, the Christians can not keep silent any longer and started the sit-down demonstration on the original church property.
The government declared that the implementation of the religious policy only means to redress the case politically rather than settle the account financially, thus insist the 50,000 RMB as remuneration.
The government also threatened the Christians to stop issuing their retirement subsidy, even resorting to violence. Yet the Christians answered by praying and singing hymns.
The Christians believe that the government’s decision contravenes the central government’s stipulation of returning the occupied property of the religious organization to its owner. They insist that the local government return the church property to the church according to the stipulation of central government.
This event is in progress.
CAA also learns that on October 20, 2006 the local police arrested more than 10 Christians, including three Singaporeans, in Qingshui Town, Huocheng County, Yili City, Xinjiang Autonous Region. Most Christians arrested, including three Singaporeans, were released October 21, 2006. Five are still in detention, they are:
Brother Liu and brother Ouyang Liang from Uramqi, brother Li Baoming, brother Tan Defu, and brother LouYuanqi from Huocheng.
All the Christians were locked in Huocheng detention centre, except brother Ouyang, who has been escorted to an unknown place. His home in Uramqi was searched by the police.
According to the eyewitnesses, the event was triggered by a local Christian family’s invitation to their fellow believers for the blessing ceremony of their newly rebuilt house. While the Christians were singing hymns in the beginning of the ceremony, the police besieged the house and took them to the local police station for interrogation.
“Signs indicate that they will very possible be prosecuted or sent to the Re-education through labor camp directly,” said Bob Fu, the president of CAA, “We appeal the local police to release these five Christians as soon as possible, because they have done nothing harmful to either the society or the country.”
Issued by China Aid Association Inc. on October 31, 2006 © China Aid Association, Inc
对华援助协会新闻稿
Contact: Bob Fu
267-205-5210
info@ChinaAid.org
www.ChinaAid.org
www.MonitorChina.org
德州美德兰（对华援助协会2006年10月31日）
甘肃省天水市无偿占用教产, 数百信教群众静坐维权; 新疆警方逮捕十余名基督徒，其中三名新加坡人已获释
对华援助协会获悉，10月16日，甘肃省天水市秦州区三百多基督徒，默默进住原教产所在地静坐，要求政府归还被无偿占用的三亩半教产。政府采取高压政策，信教群众坚决不退出，僵持到28日已进入静坐维权第13天。
在文革开始后的1966年，天水市基督教神职人员被赶出教会，地处天水市秦州区北关背街24号，占地三亩半、地上有350平米的礼拜堂和300多平米的平房等教会财产，被政府安排先后由天水市彩印厂和天水市针织二厂无偿占用。文革结束后，教会在逐渐恢复中，不断要求归还被无偿占用的全部教产。
1984年，政府未做产权评估，单方面决定以5万元作为占用教产的全部补偿，因与当时价值数百万的教产悬殊太大，教会一直不接受这样的决定，持续不断地通过上访政府、在人大政协提出议案，要求归还全部教产，但政府明确拒绝，坚持5万元的补偿决定不予改变。
前不久，天水市秦州区房管局将包含原三亩半教产在内的七亩半地，以1700万卖给某开发商的消息传出后，信教群众再也忍不住了，于是便进住原教产所在地静坐维权。
而政府方面仍然坚持原5万元的补偿，声称“落实宗教政策，只是政治上的平反，不是经济上的清算”，并连日来，用停发低保、停发退休金和强拉硬扯等各种手段威逼信教群众退出。信教群众则以唱诗、祷告回应。
信教群众认为，当地政府的作法，明显违背了中央政府关于文革中占用的宗教团体用地用房一律退还宗教团体的决定精神，坚决要求当地政府按中央精神退还教产。
事件正在发展中。
另据悉,2006年10月20日上午9时左右，新疆伊犁霍城县清水镇10多名基督徒被当地警方逮捕，其中包括3名新加坡人。
包括三位新加坡弟兄的大部分被抓的基督徒于10月21日被警方释放。但目前仍有五名基督徒仍然没有获释，他们是：
来自乌鲁木齐的一位姓刘的弟兄和欧阳良弟兄，霍城本地的李保明弟兄、谭德福弟兄、和娄元启弟兄。欧阳良弟兄的羁押地点不明，他在乌鲁木齐的家也已经被警方查抄。其他四位弟兄被关押在霍城看守所。
据悉，本事件发生的起因，是当地的一个基督徒家庭，邀请了一些主内的弟兄姐妹，为他们新翻修的住宅举行祝福仪式引起的。当时，祝福仪式尚未正式开始，受邀而来的弟兄姐妹正在唱诗赞美，警方的车队忽然包围了现场，将在场的督徒抓到公安局审讯。
对华援助协会会长傅希秋先生说：“警方办理此案的迹像表明，被逮捕的基督徒很可能会被检察院起诉，或直接劳动教养。我们呼吁当地警方尽快释放被关押的基督徒，因为他们没有作任何危害国家，危害社会的事情。”
对华援助协会10月31日首发 (博讯记者：蔡楚)
