Public Security Officers Detain House Church Protestants in Henan Province

Public security officers raided a Protestant house church in Henan province on November 6 and detained six house church leaders, according to a November 7 report by the China Aid Association (CAA), a U.S. NGO that monitors the religious freedom of Chinese Protestants. Yuan Quansan, Zhang Xiaowu, He Zhanying, Wang Jianzhong, and two unnamed men were detained in the raid. By the end of the following day, public security officials had released all but Yuan Quansan and one of the unnamed men. According to CAA, officials told Yuan and the unnamed church leader that their release is contingent on their promise to stop gathering house church believers for worship and other activities, unless the churches join the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). The TSPM is the government-controlled national Protestant organization.

The CAA press release also reported the detention of approximately 12 unnamed Protestant house church leaders in Hunan province since July 2005.

These arrests continue a series of raids on house church gatherings in Henan and neighboring provinces, including raids in May and June, July and August, and a detention on October 27.

For more information on Protestants in China, see the CECC 2005 Annual Report, Section III(d).