Tortured Chinese House Church Leader Testifies Openly in US

According to a new release from the China Aid Association, a member of an underground house church in China openly testified about her experiences of torture during imprisonment by Chinese police. The testimony came at a recent press conference at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

The 34-year-old Chinese Christian, Ms. Liu Xianzhi is from the South China Church. She was arrested by the Chinese police in 2001. She was brutally beaten and threatened to falsely accuse her pastor Gong Shengliang of "raping" her, according to the news release.

Amid a series of crackdown of underground churches in the last few years, as the Chinese government attempts to stop the rapid growth of the Chinese church, South China Church is one of those who are facing a crisis.

China Aid Association said that Ms. Liu is just one of 8,903 members of the South China Church who police have arrested for their religious beliefs. Even the Head Pastor of the Church, Pastor Gong, is serving a life sentence in prison based on multiple confessions obtained through torture.

These abuses in China have brought a renewed focus by congressional leaders and the UN. Together with Ms Liu who was arrested in 2001, three members of the Church were originally sentenced to death. However, due to pressure from UN and human rights organisations, these death sentences were commuted.

However, Liu was sentenced to three years in a labour re-education camp where she was again abused by the Chinese police, according to the new release. She was not allowed to pray or read the Bible. When she was interrogated, Liu was forced to take off her clothes, was not given anything to eat and was not allowed to use the bathroom.

Ms Liu escaped from China last month after serving her sentence in a labour camp making Christmas lights and rugs.

Through open testimony at the National Press Club news conference, Ms Liu hopes that it will help bring freedom of belief and release from prison for her brothers and sisters in China.

The Laogai Research Foundation (LRF) reported Joseph Griebosky, president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, reminded the audience that Liu's story is one of millions of Chinese victims. He stressed that the outside world must be aware of what is happening in China, and that we must stand up for people's rights.

Griebosky added China must live up to itself proclaimed adherence to human rights as well as its own constitution, which ensures freedom of religious belief. At the same time, he urged U.S. policymakers to stand by the values of the U.S.

In addition, he said it is time to draft a China human rights act similar to the recent North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004.