TORTURE - THE REALITY FOR CHINA'S CHRISTIANS

Enough ^ | Phil Whittall

[Tailgunner Joe]

We've heard that, in other countries, Christians are persecuted for their faith. Possibly we may have read a book about such things and been moved by their courage and the power of their testimony as they challenge the strength of our own convictions. However it is not very often that we 'see' persecution. And it does not make for comfortable viewing or reading. And for that we can make no apology. If there are Christians suffering like this, and if our discomfort prompts us to speak up on their behalf, then the discomfort is worth it.

Sister Shi: This sister, Suhuan Shi, is being tortured at a detention centre in Qing Feng county, Pu Yang city, Henan province. The abuser is Mr. Jingwei Li, in his 20s, a police officer of Qing Feng County. She has her knees on two bricks in mock prayer while the guard is smoking a cigarette and watching her. Even her "mock prayer" gives glory to God.

She didn't renounce her faith

Sister Ma and her family were sound asleep one night in May 2001 when Chinese Public Security Bureau police burst into her house and arrested her, her son and her daughter-in-law. The police left her 5-year-old grandson alone with nobody to take care of him. A 27-year-old woman, a friend and fellow Christian named Yu Zhongju, dropped by the house during the raid and was also arrested.

According to interviews with members of Sister Ma's house church and statements smuggled out of prison, dozens of church members were arrested at the same time and beaten with clubs, jolted with cattle prods and burned with cigarettes. When they fainted, buckets of water were poured on them to revive them. Interrogators stomped on the fingers of male prisoners and stripped off the clothes of young women prisoners and abused them.

Brother Cai: Brother Xiangdong Cai is tortured at the police station of Kongzhuang town, Xiayi county, Henan province at about 11 pm on August 11, 2002. The abuser is the political director of police station in Kongzhuang town, Mr. Zongqiang Xie (who retired on March, 2003) who is 56 years old. He and three colleagues, including the deputy director Mr. Qiong Yan participated in this Christian man's torture, forcing water into his stomach.

"They used the electrical prods on me all over," Ms. Ma said, fighting back tears. "They wanted to humiliate us." New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who reported on November 26, 2002, that police in a remote region of China had interrogated a woman named Ma Yuqin, learnt additional details about Sister Ma's arrest and torture but their efforts seemed unsuccessful.

Kristof wrote, "She never broke when she was tortured with beatings and electrical shocks. Even when she was close to death, she refused to disclose the names of members of her congregation or sign a statement renouncing her Christian faith."

While the physical abuse was almost unbearable, the mental torture was even worse. Throughout her ordeal, Ma Yuquin could hear the sounds of her son being tortured in the next room. They could hear each other's screams - additional incentives to betray their friends and their faith.

Recalling this, Ma Yuquin began to sob."They wanted me to hear (my son's) cries," she said. "It broke my heart." According to trusted sources, Sister Yu was beaten to death while in custody. Kristof verified what agencies such as Release International have been reporting for years: This kind of treatment has been common in China for more than half a century. Citizens - whose only crime is worshipping God - are burned with cigarettes, beaten with clubs and martyred for the faith.

Sister Jiang: Sister Dongyun Jiang's arms are tied behind her back. The PSB (Public Security Bureau) location is Qing Feng county, Hunan province. The abuser is Mr. Dengkun Lu, PSB officer for Qing Feng County, in his 30s. Sister Dongyun said, "This officer was standing on my feet and twisting my feet. It was so painful I started screaming and then he used his shoe polishing cloth to block my mouth for about three hours. Then he started to touch my breasts and make sexual advances."

How we got the photos

Several weeks ago Release International passed these photos to us after they were couriered out of China by Release International's associate ministry Voice of the Martyrs.

The names of the policemen and the Christians have been independently verified. The photographer, an "insider," assured the police that these photos of their work would go to their superiors as record of their conscientious work, with the possibility of a promotion. Most of these believers are in their street clothes. The Chinese Christians who smuggled these photographs to us claim that the torture of Christians is a weekly affair. The photographer is now in hiding and will be for some years.

Eddie Lyle, executive director of Release International said, "It is important for Christians in the UK to see images such as these because they convey more than words the reality of the experience of our brothers and sisters in China.

Sister Miao: The Chinese people's police are "executing the law" torturing Sister Aizhen Miao, a house church believer. She is kneeling down on a brick while they are electrifying her mouth with an electric prod. They are in the police station of Wen Shu town, Yu Zhou City, Henan province. The torturer is 40-year-old Shanlong Meng, a policeman of the PSB for Yu Zhou City. Proudly demonstrating his ability, officer Shanlong Meng gets ready to push the button.

The actions we see are illegal in China and are forbidden within the United Nations Human Rights Charter, which China supports. We must take action to expose the perpetrators of these atrocities. Every letter that can be written should be written in order to bring pressure to bear on the Chinese authorities."

The Chinese authorities deny the truth of these claims and the authenticity of these photographs.

[Tamar1973]

These same photos were published in the newsletter of the Voice of the Martyrs.

[henderson field]

That's why the Chinese are sub-human. But the UN tells us all cultures are alike. Who is right?

[B-Chan]

Good for China! Torture your Christians more! Hurt them more! Humiliate and beat and kill them more! With your cruelty you grant these saints the ultimate privilege: the privilege of suffering for Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. You can break their fragile bodies, and even wash their fragile minds, but you accomplish nothing by doing so -- because no matter what you compel these poor souls to do, you cannot change what they know to be true; you can't defeat Him! And the more you torture and hurt and kill, the more you speed the day when the Cross will stand supreme over your land, as it has stood over so many others.

So do your worst, China, as other nations have, and prepare yourself for the inevitable consequences of all who stand against Christ: His ultimate victory over you. Christ is Victor!

Let's all pray for our suffering Chinese brothers and sisters.

[highpockets]

Please take a moment to pray for those who suffer because they love Christ.

[judicial meanz]

Not only will I pray for them, I will speak about this anytime I can. I've seen these before, and it breaks my heart.

This is an evil time. I spent today telling my children about how much the world had changed in the 40 plus years of my life, and I realized just how much evil has come to roost in some areas of the world. As a Christian, I know that ultimately, evil will have to be faced down before it grows out of control. As a warrior, I know how it has to be faced down, what it costs, and how it repeats time and time gain.

May Christ return soon and purge of this suffering in the world forever.

[skr]

Bless them, O Lord, as they show your strength in their earthly weakness.

In Jesus' name, Amen

[Blue Scourge]

vengance is mine says the Lord.

they're day will come. Persecute them all you want, you will only fuel the fire further.

My prayers are with all our persecuted Chinese bretheren.

[Thorondir]

Shopping at Walmart supports this horror and the horror of the Laogai slave-labor camps where countless Christians suffer for uncle Prescott Bush's profit margin. Do you think his famous and powerful nephew will do anything about it?

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[PuNcH]

I guess the real face of "free trade" isnt a very popular subject with "conservative" republicans.

LoL.

[TLBSHOW]

America at its worst is the support of China.

[Thorondir]

Biggest retailer, perhaps, I don't know. But it's hard to find anything in Walmart that is not produced by Christian slave labor in the ChiCom Laogai.

[KCmark]

How do the WOsD warriors feel about this? 'Don't do the crime', perhaps? How about the rape is ok for prisoners crowd? Isn't this what these Christians should expect if they break the law? Especially if these Christians are trying to turn kids on to their brand of religion. Do you think the parents of those kids feel exactly like you feel about drug dealers who sell to kids? More than addiction, we're talking about the immortal soul. I'm just curious.

[The Pheonix]

As Christians

Let us all pray for the day when Democrasy comes to China

so that our Chinese friends can practize the freedom of worship

Democrasy is TOO LONG overdue for China

The Chinese people deserves democrasy. It is time

Let us petition the Chicoms not to persecute the Chinese Christians AMEN

On the other hand, I saw Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition on CNN. Larry King Live in March 2001, and he said that the Chicom Govt had given blessings to him and his org. to do missionary work in China, and that he has an office in Beijing

Life is confusing, isn't it?

[tallhappy]

These pictures were posted here months ago.

Thanks for posting them again.

Here is the first english language report.

[tallhappy]

Posted here at FR threee months ago, here

[The Pheonix]

According to the CIA-WORLD FACTBOOK, data;

China has about 50 million Christians belonging to the officially Govt sanctioned Church, both Catholic and Protestant. Figures on the "underground Churches" are unavailable.

Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the China and it is still spreading fast

NO FORCE IN THE WORLD CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF THE LORD'S TEACHING's IN CHINA

As Christians, we say to the Chicom Govt., "Officially, your Constitition allow the freedom of religious beliefs. So, allow the Chinese people to practise their religion in peace"

[Thorondir]

Bump.