Christian NGO Leader Urges China to be 'Servants', Not Rulers

PACIFIC GROVE, California - The head of a China-based social welfare organisation recently urged Chinese government officials to act more like "servants" of society than rulers.

"One problem of the Chinese government is that they see themselves as the owner of China society, and now they are the manager of the society," said Amity Foundation Associate General Secretary Zhang Liwei last weekend at an ecumenical missions conference held 124 miles south of San Francisco.

"I hope to see that they are the servant for the society. I really hope the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) can see themselves as civil servants."

Citing Amity efforts to provide free medical clinics in impoverished Chinese rural sectors, Zhang noted that the project only succeeded with government cooperation.

"[It] took around 10 years to show the government it (providing free medical clinics) was good. Actually the government should have built those," said Zhang.

"Later, the officials decided to use government funding to support these facilities."

Zhang also admitted that it would take time for the government to fully address current social issues in rural China.

"Chinese government officials take time to change. They thought they were a revolutionary party, but now they have become the ruling party that needs to serve," Zhang emphasised.

In light of the recent brick-kiln slave scandal in the provinces of Henan and Shanxi, Zhang said he was confident the Chinese public would become more aware of China's current social problems, thus encouraging change in government policy. China's police were blamed for ignoring and even aiding the use of slave labor in illegal brick factories.

Last month, the police started an investigation into the allegations and sent an eight-member team to the Shanxi and Henan provinces, where workers as young as eight were working in kilns, subjected to beatings and long hours with little food and no pay. The reports shocked the country and led to accusations that local police and government officials were involved.

In response, China announced a new crackdown on illegal labor practices. It said nearly 1,000 workers, including over 50 children, had been freed after about 45,000 policemen raided more than 8,000 kilns and small coal mines in Shanxi and Henan provinces.

"This is shocking not only because [it involved] child labour, but because of slave labour," commented Zhang.

Kiln boss Wang Bingbing and three employees, who were still on trial in the Intermediate People's Court of Linfen City of Shanxi province, were quoted by the People's Daily as saying the operation originally had employed local workers, but began using those provided by human traffickers last year after falling into debt.

"To me [a member] of the Amity Christian organisation, it is intolerable," Zhang added.

"10 people are arrested and it is now in court. These issues are reported to help people be more right-consciences in these issues."

The Amity Foundation, an independent China-based social service group, was founded by Chinese Christians in 1985. The group gained international recognition for its works in promoting education, social services, health and rural development in China.


(Christian Today Correspondent Eric Young in Washington contributed to this report.)