An attack on lawyers hired to defend 17 detained Christians in central China, shown around the world on Sky TV on December 13, drew attention to a case which may not be as clear-cut as it has been reported.
The church leader at the centre of the dispute, Pastor Zhang Shaojie, appears to have been pushing the boundaries of what might be deemed ‘appropriate’ for a church leader within the government-sanctioned Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), not least in hiring lawyers known to be close to the China Aid Association.
These lawyers, who announced that they were beginning a hunger strike – until allowed access to their clients – were beaten and kicked by a coachload of [alleged] government-hired aggressors.
Sky TV’s reporter had visited Nanle in Henan Province to follow up on the missing Christians’ case. According to Associated Press, lawyer Liu Weiguo said someone threw a brick at his head. Several other lawyers were also hurt in the attack.
The lawyers had been called in over the case of 24 members of Nanle County Church, including five church leaders, who were arrested in mid-November. Seven are since reported, by the China Aid Association, to have been released.
The precise charges for the remainder are unknown, but their arrests are thought to relate to a dispute over a piece of land on which the group hoped to build a new church. The government in Nanle County had declared that the current church building was not safe and had closed it on November 30.
New church building
The previous local government is thought to have agreed to exchange the church’s land for new land on which to build a new church, but this offer was then withdrawn, after the change to a newly appointed Head of County. A series of protests by church members followed, leading to the arrests.
It is unusual for authorities to crack down on a state-sanctioned church such as Nanle County Church, which is part of the TSPM.
However, local sources said that Pastor Zhang is one of an increasing number of TSPM pastors who do not always strictly keep to the government line. He is said to have attempted to co-operate with ‘house churches’.
The case against Pastor Zhang and his church does not necessarily suggest the religious environment in China is becoming less tolerant. In general, sources said the government’s relationship with the church is improving, but the implementation of policies on religious institutions varies depending upon the local officials.
Meanwhile, sources said the media may not have helped matters by increasing the profile of the case. Lead lawyer Xia Jun told Sky News the group that assaulted them were ‘paid and backed by the local government.’ He said the same group had attacked him the previous day and that the case was for ‘pure religious causes’.
