CHINA : Freedom of religion or belief : Special bimonthly FoRB newsletter (01-16.12.2021)
General
08.12.2021 – China: first CCP national conference on Religion held since 2016
Offline games, which also include “Script Killing,” are immensely popular among Chinese youth. A new regulation will forbid references to religion.
Church of Almighty God
16.12.2021 – Church of Almighty God: another 300+ arrested in China
From October 14 to November 23 this year, the CCP authorities carried out a wanton arrest operation against Church of Almighty God (CAG) members in the cities of Dongguan, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Qingyuan in the province of Guangdong, and in the cities of Wuzhou and others in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. As a consequence, 217 CAG members were arrested in 40 days.
15.12.2021 – Li Chenggang and his wife wanted by CCP for their belief in Almighty God
Li Chenggang, born in 1973, and his wife Zhang Jingxi, born in 1969, residents of Zaozhuang city in the eastern province of Shandong, are Christians of The Church of Almighty God (CAG). They are both honest, well-behaved, and sincere, but they have been pursued by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police for their belief in Almighty God for seven years, left unable to return to their own home. The Shanting branch of the Public Security Bureau of Zaozhuang city has published online notices twice to offer rewards for arrest of them, putting them in a worrying situation.
Buddhists
15.12.2021 – Go Sherab Gyatso sentenced to 10 years in prison
The monk, writer and intellectual was sentenced in secret in November
Free Tibet’s research partner, Tibet Watch, has learned that renowned Tibetan writer, intellectual and monk, Go Sherab Gyatso, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The sentence was handed down in November this year after Go Sherab Gyatso was found guilty of “inciting secession”, a state security crime that is frequently employed as a charge against Tibetans. The exact date of the ruling is unknown due to the secrecy around Go Sherab Gyatso’s detention and trial. He will serve his sentence in a prison near to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
12.12.2021 – Tibetan monk sentenced to five years for publishing writings of the Dalai Lama
20-year-old Trinley’s family was left uninformed for two months
In September 2021, Trinley, a Tibetan monk from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County (Ch: Aba), was given a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of publishing the teachings and writings of the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Ngaba County People’s Court held the trial in secret without the presence of his family members and lawyers.
Uyghur Muslims
13.12.2021 – Uyghur Tribunal reaches unanimous “guilty” verdict
The Uyghur Tribunal found the Chinese government guilty of crimes against humanity, systematic torture, and genocide against Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region. Their decision is not legally binding, but it sets the stage for international communities to take action.
08.12.2021 – Uyghur Tribunal: And the verdict is—genocide
On December 3 and 4, the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing a National Conference on Work Related to Religious Affairs. It was the first such conference since 2016, not an auspicious recurrence for believers considering that at the 2016 conference President Xi Jinping had announced his plans for a more severe crackdown on religion, which were implemented in subsequent years.
Falun Gong
14.12.2021 – Two Liaoning women sentenced to prison for their faith
Two Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province residents are awaiting results of their appeal cases against wrongful prison sentences for practicing Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
12.12.2021 – Woman, 59, incarcerated for 14 years of the 22 years of Falun Gong persecution
A woman in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia was incarcerated and tortured for 14 years for refusing to renounce her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong is a spiritual and health-improving practice that has been persecuted in China since 1999.
Ms. Li Yufen, 59, was first arrested in October 2000 and again on July 10, 2001. She was given two years of forced labor after the second arrest. Her arrests and labor camp sentence caused extreme stress and worries for her elderly parents. Her mother died while she was in the labor camp.