Beijing police have disrupted at least three Protestant prayer meetings held in private homes in recent days, accusing them of "meeting illegally". According to police, they violated security regulations on the number of people allowed to gather in closed areas.
On the morning of Sunday, November 24, about 20 police officers from the Gaoliying Police Station interrupted a meeting of believers from Harvest Church, a Protestant congregation in Beijing. The officers interrupted the pastor in the middle of his sermon, sent everyone out and searched the rooms for "religious items".
One of those present, named He, says: "As soon as they arrived, they started removing computers, projectors and other things in the room. Their leader said we were not welcome and took all our books, including our Bibles and hymnals. Now we are negotiating to get our things back." A woman who was also present during the raid described the agents as "violent and blasphemous like bandits. They even took the Bibles we were holding from us. And when we tried to record them on video with our phones, they took the phones and erased everything."
According to sources from ChinaAid, an organization that monitors religious freedom in China, similar incidents have occurred in other parts of the capital. In addition, the Chenguang bookstore - which sells religious literature and has long been under the spotlight of the authorities - has been subjected to another series of raids by various government officials.
The state only recognizes religious freedom for Protestants who are members of the Three-Self Movement, the "official" church formed by Mao Zedong in the early years of his reign. In fact, only registered religious groups are allowed in China. But there are more unofficial Protestant Christians (around 80 million) than there are members of the Three-Self Movement (around 20 million). Fearing that the situation is getting out of the Party's control, a campaign has been underway for the past five years to crush underground churches or see them merged with the official church.
Source: AsiaNews
