China: Police raid Bible meeting, detain 270

“They divided us into pairs and handcuffed us all together with our partner and marched us off to the police station for questioning. Some of the congregation were beaten during our detention, during questioning. Others were frequently subjected to mental torture,” he said.

Each person was told they had to pay 300 yuan for their living expenses during their 15-day detention period. The police then refused to give back any of the money when many of the detainees were released after 2-3 days, he said.

— participant in a Bible study meeting of house church pastors in Shandong, eastern China

China Aid writes:

270 House Church pastors have been detained for what Chinese officials are calling an “illegal religious gathering”.

On December 7 at 1:30pm, House Church pastors in Hedong District, Linyi City, were gathered for Bible study, when their meeting was disrupted by police officials. According to Pastor Li, an eyewitness, 12 police cars and 40-50 policemen from 12 different towns were involved in the massive detention. The pastors were handcuffed two-by-two and taken to the local police station for questioning. As of this morning 120-150 pastors remain in custody. The others have been released on a Y300 ($40) interrogation fee.

RFA’s Mandarin and Cantonese services both cover the story (both links in Chinese):

Police burst in on the Dec. 7 meeting in the apparent belief that the participants were engaged in proselytising for the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement, according to those detained at the meeting in Linyi city.

“When the police burst into the room, there wasn’t any reaction at all from any of us,” one man released from detention Sunday told RFA’s Cantonese service.

“They divided us into pairs and handcuffed us all together with our partner and marched us off to the police station for questioning. Some of the congregation were beaten during our detention, during questioning. Others were frequently subjected to mental torture,” he said.

Each person was told they had to pay 300 yuan for their living expenses during their 15-day detention period. The police then refused to give back any of the money when many of the detainees were released after 2-3 days, he said.

The 270 attendees had gathered as part of a fast to honor Jesus’ suffering, taking advantage of the lack of agricultural work to be done in winter, according to another participant, identified only as Pastor Li.

Li said the police acted like bandits, confiscating two computers, videotapes and a video recorder, a television and some copies of the Bible.

“At about 1 p.m., police officers from a dozen or so different villages and townships burst into the room.”

Another participant told RFA’s Mandarin service that the raid was well organized. “They had made arrangements to detain all of us. Each police station held 20-30 people. We were detained for three days and three nights. Some of us have now been released, but some have been transferred to a detention center–more than 70 people, in all.”

Pastor Zhang, who also attended, said the police appeared to have acted on the basis of allegations that the group were Falun Gong missionaries.

“They had got a warrant all in a hurry and then staged this raid on our church, arresting people with no rhyme or reason to it. They said we would have to register with the religious authorities before they would accept there is a religious reason for our meetings. We don’t want to register because if we are refused permission to meet, then we will have no religious freedom anywhere in mainland China.”

An employee who answered the phone at the Hedong district police station in Linyi confirmed that some church members were still being detained for illegal assembly.

When asked whether the detainees were wearing manacles or to answer questions about when they would be released, she said she didn’t know. “It is unlikely that they would be wearing manacles. As for when they will be released, I really don’t know. It depends on circumstances.”

Worshipper: “At the time we were having a meeting and someone had reported us as Falungong. As soon as we got together, they had already made arrangements to detain all of us. Each police station is holding 20-30 people. We were detained for three days and three nights. Some of us have now been released, but some have been transferred to a detention center–more than 70 people, in all.”

“We were meeting to take advantage of the slow farming season in winter. There were a lot of people available, so we arranged to meet. Most of those present were from Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. There weren’t so many people from other provinces.”

Pastor Li said: “The meeting was part of a fast to mark Jesus’ suffering, which was into its sixth day when the raid happened. At about 1pm, police officers from a dozen or so different villages and townships burst into the room.”