China police impose new restrictions on religious activities

The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) has issued a public notice warning China's landlords to refrain from renting houses for unregistered religious activities, according to China Aid Association (CAA).

CAA also reports that prominent human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and his family have again been arrested for speaking out against major human rights abuses in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

A report in the Beijing Evening News published on 5 September states that the Population Management Office of Beijing Municipal PSB issued a public notice that landlords should, on their own initiative, refuse to rent their properties to "five types of prospective tenants", one of which is those engaged in so-called "illegal religious activities".

The police are asked to "organise the staff in the entire bureau and all the local police stations in an intensive inspection" of the rental policy".

CAA reports that, according to numerous accounts, many house churches in Beijing were pressurised to cease from meeting or to leave Beijing.

One house church leader told CAA, "This is clearly a new tactic to persecute house churches before 2008 Beijing Olympics is held."

In an open letter dated 21 September to the US Congress and Senate, human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng listed a number of serious human rights abuses carried out in the name of the Beijing Olympics and urged the international community not to be taken in by Chinese government propaganda.

He was subsequently arrested on 23 September, along with other members of his family.

Last year Gao was also detained and severely tortured for a number of months before being given a three years suspended sentence with five years probation in December 2006 as a result of his work defending human rights. His wife, Geng He, and two children have been denied passports by the Chinese government.

In a separate incident, CAA report that two house church members, Sister Guo and Sister Li, were arrested on 2 September and are being detained at Huocheng County Detention Center in Xinjiang Province.

Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said: "It is deeply concerning that the Chinese authorities are continuing to target prominent human rights defenders such as Gao Zhisheng and taking such pervasive measures to stop Christians worshiping in freedom.

"We support Mr Gao's calls for the international community to be alert and responsive regarding the human rights violations in China during the preparations for the Beijing Olympics.

"We urge the Chinese authorities to improve their record on religious freedoms and human rights, starting with the release of Mr Gao, at a time when the eyes of the international community are increasingly focusing on Beijing."