Posted on 12/21/2004 2:54:04 PM PST by nickcarraway
New government guidelines claim to “guarantee religious freedom”. But, apart from the odd new element, they reconfirm minute control over people, places and activities.
Rome (AsiaNews) – With a highly detailed list of 48 rules and norms, the government of China has published new regulations on religious personnel, place and activities that will come into effect on March 1, 2005. The new guidelines, which appeared in Xinhua last December 18, replace the 1994 regulations for the administration of religious places.
The first chapter affirms the state’s commitment to “guaranteeing religious freedom and harmony between religions and in society”. The text states that in China no one is to be discriminated for his faith or lack thereof. Though it does not define religion in any way, it does set the limit of such freedom: “the promotion of state unity, solidarity of the population, stability of society”; it then refers to the principles of the “Three Autonomies” (self-administration, self-support and self-propagation), to prevent subservience to the power of foreign countries (n.b.: the Vatican, or rather the Holy See is considered a foreign country).
The text then goes on to set the conditions for the opening of new places of worship, educational structures, and religious activities, which must all register with relevant government offices. In what amounts to a new development, the regulations specifically set out the bureaucratic procedures for registration, calling into play local, provincial and national governments, and setting the time frame for the presentation of applications and the rendering of decisions (which must be within 30 days of the application). Such procedures became necessary as numerous non-official Protestant communities have complained that their applications for registration are simply not accepted and thus are turned down without being processed.
It is especially worth noting, in this regard, the biggest “novelty” of these regulations: they condemn the abuse of power by local authorities or the Religious Affairs Office. So far, figures of authority have been known to expropriate property, levy taxes and make arrests on the basis of their own personal interests, while pocketing the goods and taxes extorted from religious communities under the threat of expropriations and imprisonment. Now, according to the new regulations, “if a government official for Religious Affairs, while carrying out his duties, abuses his authority or uses if for personal purposes, such person commits a crime punishable by law. In the case of minor infractions, disciplinary action and fines will be applied.” (art. 38).
This, however, does not mean that communities will enjoy greater freedom: permission is required for each place or person involved in worship. For example, to build a place of worship, a group must obtain permission from the local government (xian), then from the next level of government (shi), then from the provincial government (shen). At this point, construction can begin. Upon completion and before the building is put into use, another government permit is required. Meanwhile, the Religious Affairs office must check that places of worship respect laws, regulations and the constitution and must verify all the activities in and around the group (cf art. 13 – 19).
As for the rest, communities face the same restrictions as in the past: they must avoid influencing state education and can publish books and produce religious products but can sell them only from their places of worship. This means that they cannot work on spreading their faith in society at large. State atheism can instead, as emerges from the new regulations of the Propaganda Office, use all the means of communication, schools, libraries, to “destroy religious superstitions”. Despite guaranteeing “respect” for believers and non-believers alike, believers effectively suffer discrimination.
The biggest discrimination is that believers can exercise their religious freedom only if officially registered. For Beijing, religious freedom is not an inalienable right, but is conceded by the state. Several weeks ago at a conference on religious freedom, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, said “religious freedom is prior to any express recognition on the part of state authorities … the registration of religious communities cannot be considered as a prerequisite for enjoying such freedom”.
The last part of the new regulations, from article 40 on, deals in fact with all the penalties foreseen for those who carry out religious activity without permission: expropriation of goods, fines, penal sanctions, demolition of places of worship, disbarment from religious office. It is interesting to note that, in this case, the members of non-official or underground communities are considered “non religious persons” or “impostors”, who use religion for their own purpose or “illicit gain”.
The new regulations contain articles that refer specifically to Muslims and Catholics. Article 11 states that, in order to go on pilgrimages abroad, Muslims must go through “the national organization for the Muslim faithful”, in order to avoid all contact with fundamentalist groups. Instead, article 27 reserves special treatment for Catholic bishops: despite being responsible for a diocese – thus a provincial-level entity – Catholic bishops need to be registered with the National Religious Affairs Office.
(Quotations of the new regulations are based on translations by AsiaNews)
And China will continue to kill practitioners of Falun Gong for threatening the status quo.
The Falun Gong are crazy.
At the May 19, 2003 meeting, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the Rolling Hills Covenant Church expansion and directed staff to prepare resolutions recommending that the City Council certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and deny the project.
Note the dates and time frame involved. This was on the tail end of it. The government denials of and fight against this church have been going on over 10 years.
Revised NOP/Initial Study (comment period ended 09/24/02)
Notice of Public Workshop to introduce project and Draft EIR scheduled 10/23/02
Notice of Availability of the Rolling Hills Covenant Church Expansion
Project Draft Environmental Impact Report
Rolling Hills Covenant Church Draft EIR
Notice of Revised Comment Period Deadline
Broadcast of Public Workshop (10/23/02)
Public Hearing Notice (Planning Commission Meeting (02/12/03)
Staff Report for Final EIR (02/12/03)
Final EIR (01/30/03) (PDF)
Planning Commission Agenda Special Meeting (02/12/03)
Notice of Cancellation - Planning Commission Meeting (2/12/03)
Public Hearing Notice (Planning Commission Meeting 3/17/03)
Webcast of Planning Commission Meeting (03/17/2003)
RHE Planning Commission Staff Report (05/19/03)
Webcast of Planning Commision Meeting (05/19/03)
RHE City Council Staff Report (06/24/03)
Webcast of City Council Meeting (06/24/2003)
Webcast of City Council Meeting (07/08/2003)
Webcast of City Council Meeting (07/22/2003)
Public Hearing Notice (City Council Meeting 5/24/04)
RHE City Council Staff Report (05/24/04)
Resolution No. 2044 - Denial of the Rolling Hills Covenant Church Expansion (8/3/04)
http://www.rollinghillsestates.com/issues/index.cfm
"The Falun Gong are crazy."
Okay, why?
You've said they were crazy before but have offered no substance to your argument. We have lots of crazy religions in America but we don't hunt them down, torture, and imprison them. Why the visceral hatred toward what appears to be just another twist on Eastern religious thought?
Of course I will agree with you on this, save one group in Waco that was burned alive. But let's not get started on that. I agree with your statement above.
The Branch Davidian fiasco was a crime against humanity. The Clinton Administration used CS gas against civilians - a gas the US has signed international treaties promising to not use on anyone. They said the reason they did this was to catch David Koresh, a man the government says went jogging every day at 8am...they could've arrested him peacefully when he went jogging but the Clinton group wanted these people dead for some inexplicable reason. They also violated US law by using the US Army on American soil in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
Waco was the worst kind of violence against liberty.
But the more and more I hear about Falun Gong makes me wonder yet again why these people are hunted down like criminals, imprisoned, and etc. If they are really misguided people, then why not treat them with compassion?
It amazes me how the PRC is trying to put on a good face for the 2008 Olympics all while threatening Taiwan, India, arresting Baptists, seizing Catholic Bibles, and hounding the FG people. What are people like myself supposed to conclude about the PRC when they say they are a civilized government yet they act like a rogue power in dire need of a spanking?
"You have certainly heard of Liu Siying, the 12-year-old girl that set herself on fire in Tian'anmen Square."
Self-immolation is a time honored Buddhist tradition. Nothing outrageous from that perspective. A monk did that on the steps of the US Capitol not long ago.
I think the point that many people miss is that what is illegal in China is unauthorized assembly, not religion. You can attend any number of churches for Sunday service in Shanghai. They even ring the church bell to annonce the start of services.
But, you can not take off and form your own church or fellowship gathering. That is illegal. Many equate this with persecution of religious liberty. I liken it more to a lack of personal freedom, again, of assembly.
It is the very same law that told Amway they had to stop their motivational sales meetings when Amway first got started. I remember the Amway office that set up just down the street from my apartment. You know the kind, a black board, rows of chairs facing forward.
The place ran for about two months and as I walked passed and looked in on their meetings I thought to myself, how long is the Chinese government going to allow this to go on. Well, it was not long. They shut it down.
Amway still sells in China, just not the way they started out. By the same argument used to say China is persecution religions in China, you could say they were also persecuting Amway. Now if Amway closed down that office and went somewhere else in the city and set up again, you can bet they would have a problem.
It is the same for the churches. You just can't take up space somewhere and start doing it on your own. There is no freedom of assembly, be it for Amway meetings or to set up a church.
"The Falun Gong are crazy."
That's strange, what would make you say that?
Don't you think find it odd that China is the only country in the world where the Falun Gong supposedly commit strange and brutal acts?
I think it's more like the old saying that "there are strength in numbers" that worry the CHinese communists.
Falun Gong = Maitreya Cult of Today,
as far as Chinese regime is concerned.
It is not just another gathering for tasting exotic teas.:)
Falun Gong and Church are the most frightening organization to Chinese regime, if they ever read their own history. Falun Gong remind them of Boxers. Christianity reminds them of Tai-ping's.
Well, that is basically what I was getting at.
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