CAA reports that it recently received a secret document from a reliable government source showing the Chinese government has been launching a nationwide campaign against unregistered Christian churches since July of this year.
According to CAA, the "confidential" document was issued on July 24, 2007 by Duodao District Committee Office of Jingmen Municipality of the Communist Party of China, Hubei province. The document number is listed as "Duo Ban Fa [2007] No. 18" which seems compatible with the standard way of document listing by the Chinese government. In order to protect the source, CAA said it had to omit the specific three-digit serial number on the top of the document.
The document, as translated by CAA, follows this article.
The document entitled as "Notice on Forwarding 'Work Plan for Special Administration on Christian Activities in Duodao District' from Duodao District Committee Office of the Communist Party of China and Office of Duodao District People's Government" (Work Plan) was issued to all township and neighborhood Party committees, all people's governments, neighborhood offices, and relevant work units. According to the document, the work Plan was formulated by the Department of United Front of District Committee, District Bureau for Religious Affairs of Ethnic Minorities and Duodao Branch of Public Security Bureau.
Though this document was issued in a local level, it does reveal - reports CAA - that the central government has directed a national campaign specifically against unregistered Christian House churches. According to the document, the secret campaign was launched "based on the relevant documents from the central government, provincial government, and municipal government and the decisions from the working conference on special administration on Christianity throughout our province." Moreover, according to "Guidelines and General Requirements" of the Work Plan, the whole campaign was urged and instructed by the National Christian Working Seminar and "leading comrades in the central government".
CAA said it has learned that the central government convened a secret National Christian Working Seminar which is called "601 Conference" on June 1, 2007.
The purpose of the crackdown was said to "Fight against infiltration activities by hostile overseas forces under the guise of Christianity and safeguard the stability in our society and in the religious arena." By urging the government-sanctioned patriotic Christian organizations to work closely with the public security agents, the aim of the campaign is to establish" a socialized mechanism of management of religious affairs," according to CAA.
CAA said that as outlined in the document, the duration of the crackdown was "set at five and a half months, starting on June 15 and ending November 30 in three phases" including propaganda, actions, and inspection.
As for the self-appointed missionaries (house church leaders), the document urges to "tackle the problem in three ways: education and stop, order them to stop their activities and crack down on their activities according to law." For those unregistered churches, the public security agencies are asked to "work with departments in charge of religious affairs and resolutely stop their activities. In the meantime, the leaders of the site should be investigated and due penalties rendered. All their illegally acquired income shall be confiscated," CAA reported.
For unauthorized churches that were found preaching "heresies, religious fanaticism, feudal superstition, or harm the physical and mental health of the people, and violate the laws of the state," the public security agencies are urged to "resolutely crack down on them and abolish them on the basis of sufficient evidence," CAA said, citing the document.
Finally the whole campaign was asked to be carried out in super secrecy, CAA said. "Being serious interna
RSS