Freedom of Religion
CECC Summary
Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on January 11, 2005, that police in Kangding, the capital of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) in Sichuan province, have detained a former monk on suspicion of starting a fire in the building housing the prefectural people’s congress. Police in Ganzi confirmed to RFA that a fire had occurred, but they declined to comment on the investigation or any arrests. The building "burned to the ground" in the early hours of December 23, according to RFA’s sources, but no casualties were reported. On January 11 Tibet Information Network (TIN) reported that the fire began about 3:00 AM and that the extent of the damage was unknown.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on September 20 called for the Chinese government "to allow an independent body to verify the current status" of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, the boy the Dalai Lama recognized in 1995 as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. During meetings in Geneva, UNCRC Chairman Jacob Doek said the boy "has been taken against his and his parents' will from Tibet to China," and told the Chinese representative that Chinese authorities could "clear the air" by allowing a visit, according to a report the following day by the exiled Tibetan government. The Chinese official reportedly replied that he would forward the request, and advised Chairman Doek that the Chinese government has not permitted "foreigners" to visit the boy and his parents because "too much interference creates too many problems," and the family does not want "to be disturbed due to security reasons." The U.S.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has recommended that the Chinese government "allow an independent expert to visit and confirm the well-being" of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, the boy the Dalai Lama recognized as the Panchen Lama in 1995, in Concluding Observations of a report published on September 30. The UNCRC, a part of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also urges Chinese authorities to "take all necessary measures to ensure the full implementation" of its Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, and to respect the religious freedom of Tibetan children by allowing them to choose to receive a religious education, to participate in religious festivals, and to choose whether or not to attend classes on atheism.
Monks at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), found 28-year-old monk Ngawang Jangchub dead in his room in early October, the day after he argued with instructors teaching “patriotic education” classes at the monastery, according to a November 8 report by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). Ngawang Jangchub apparently refused to comply with a requirement to denounce the Dalai Lama as a "splittist" and pledge loyalty to the Chinese government, requirements under patriotic education, and defended the Dalai Lama's role as a Buddhist leader. In addition, he said that Tibet is not a historical part of China. Ngawang Jangchub reportedly told instructors that he knew he could face expulsion from the monastery for making the remarks, but that he did not regret his words.
Imprisoned Falun Gong practitioner Charles Lee's three-year sentence will expire on January 21, 2006. The trial court's original judgment in his case provides that Lee is to be expelled from China upon completion of his sentence, according to a March 24, 2003, Xinhua report reprinted on the Ministry of Justice Web site.
Authorities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region have detained a Uighur religious instructor and 37 of her students, according to the German-based World Uighur Congress and as reported by Agence-France Presse on August 15. Aminan Momixi, 56, was teaching the Koran to students between the ages of 7 and 20 in her home on August 1, when police detained the group. Police accused Momixi of "illegally possessing religious materials and subversive historical information" and reportedly denied her access to a lawyer. Although central government officials assured the foreign press in March 2005 that minors are allowed to worship freely in China, the Xinjiang government prohibits children under 18 years of age from entering mosques or receiving religious instruction even in their own homes.
The Chinese government during November 2005 detained Protestant house church leaders, removed house church leaders from Beijing, sentenced a house church leader to imprisonment, and censored news media coverage of President Bush's message supporting religious freedom during his November 19-21 visit to Beijing, according to a number of news sources.
Sun Weilin, director general of the Bureau of NGO Administration at the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MOCA), said on December 14 that the State Council is currently examining revised civil society regulations that will apply the same registration requirements to domestic and foreign organizations, according to a December 15 China Daily article. Sun stated that the regulations are expected to be published early next year.
Gyaltsen Norbu, the boy the Chinese government installed as the Panchen Lama, concluded a Buddhist ritual offering at the tombs of his predecessors by saying that he would "live up to the expectations of the Chinese Communist Party and the central government," according to a December 15 Xinhua report. The ritual took place one week after the 10th anniversary of the December 8, 1995, ceremony at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), where State Councilor Li Tieying presided over then five-year-old Gyaltsen Norbu's installation as Panchen Lama, according to the China Tibet Information Center.
Officials detained 29 house church leaders meeting in Henan province on December 12, according to a report issued the same day by the China Aid Association (CAA), a U.S. NGO that monitors the religious freedom of house church Protestants. Approximately 100 house church leaders from Henan and Anhui provinces met in Xiapigang village, Dungang town, Xincai county in Henan province to discuss how their churches can assist local farmers who have contracted AIDS. Officials raided the meeting, characterized it an "illegal religious gathering," and detained Shen Yiping, a pastor and founder of the China Gospel Fellowship, Yang Huamin, and 27 others. A public security official, however, told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that "70 or 80" people were reported present at the meeting, according to a December 14 SCMP article (subscription required).